Biography: historical, political and military Books

Book SynopsisPrince Albert was one of the defining figures of the Victorian age and Sir Theodore Martin's biography remains the definitive account of his life. Detailed, comprehensive and authoritative, Martin's five volumes and 3000 pages chronicle not just the details of Albert's upbringing and later personal life but also his involvement in the political affairs of the country and his engagement with many of the key figures and events of the Victorian age - from Sir Robert Peel, Lord Palmerston and the Emperor Napoleon to the Indian Mutiny and the Crimean War. With an Introduction by a leading modern scholar, this outstanding biography of one of the key royal figures of the modern period also provides a unique inside view on many of the major events of the Victorian era.Table of ContentsSelected Contents VOLUME 1 1. 1819-36: Early years of Prince's life 2. 1820-39: Birth and education of Princess Victoria; First visit of Prince to England Accession of Princess Victoia; Project of Marriage between Prince and Queen Victoia 3. 1839: Estimate by Baron Stockmar of Prince's character; Prince's second visit to England; Betrothal of Queen and Prince 4. 1840: Announcement of Royal Marriage in England; How the announcement received in England; Discussions as to Prince's annuity; his status and rights of precedence; Marriage 5. 1840: contd Position of the Prince in his household; His rules of conduct; State of public affairs in England; Awkward relations with France on the Eastern question 6. 1840 contd: The Prince as musician and artist; His first public speech; Oxford shoots at Queen; Prince appointed Regent; The Eastern question; Birth of Crown Princess 7. 1841: Difficulties of Melbourne administration; Launch of the Trafalgar; Downfall of Melbourne administration; Peel ministry; Sir R. Peel's estimate of Prince; Fine Arts Commission; Birth of Prince of Wales 8. 1842: King of Prussia's arrival in England; Uneasy state of public affairs; Income tax; Disasters in India; Queen shot at by Francis; Next day Queen fired at by Bean;Disturbed state of country;Prince applies himself to study of politics; Necessity for reorganisation of Royal household 9. 1843: Reorganisation of Royal household; Development of Prince's character; Birth of Princess Alice; Efforts of Prince to supress duelling 10. 1843: Royal visit to the King of the French; Alarming state of Ireland 11. 1844: Death of Prince's father; Letters to the Queen; Arrival of King of Saxony and Emperor of Russia on visit to Queen; Opinions of Emperor on political questions 12. 1844 contd: Birth of Prince Alfred; Threatened disturbance of relations with France; Visit of Prince of Prussia 13. 1844-5: Osborne purchased and laid out by Prince; Peel's financial measures; Discussions as to title of King Consort; Peel declines offer of the Garter 14. 1845 contd: Queen's visit to Germany; Second visit to Chateau d'Eu 15. 1845-6: Troubled state of affairs in England; Sir R. Peel resigns; Russell fails in forming an administration; Landscape gardening; Defeat of ministry on Irish Coercion Bill 16. 1846 contd: Settlement of Oregon question; Birth of Proncess Helena; Disatress in Ireland; New house at Osborne 17. 1846 contd: The Spanish marriage 18. 1846-7: Alarming political symptons in Europe; Ripening of the character of Prince; Installation of Prince as Chancellor of Cambridge University 19. 1847: Revolutionary symptons throughout Europe; Great distress in Ireland; Character of King of Prussia by Prince; English intervention in affairs of Portugal; Royal voyage to Scotland 20. 1847 contd: Prince's birthday; State of Italy; Memorandum by Prince on the subject; Letter by him to Lord John Russell 21. 1847 contd: Memorandum by Prince on state of affairs in Germany; Correspondence between Baron Stockmar and the Prince 22. 1847-8: Great commercial and financial distress in England and Scotland; Critical condition of France; Hampden contoversy; Insurrection in Sicily; Birth of Proncess Louise Appendix: Royal correspondence on the subject of the Spanish Marriages VOLUME II 23. 1848: Revolution in Milan; Revolutions in Naples, Vienna, Berlin; Movement for Unification of Germany 24. 1848 contd: Belgium unshaken;Chartist disturbances in London 25. State of Ireland; Chartist riots in England; Cheerfulness of Prince; His sympathy with working classes 26. 1848 contd: Prince takes great interest in movement for Unification of Germany; Separate plans by Prince and Baron Stockmar for regeneration of Germany 27. 1848 co

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Book SynopsisBelarus is an isolated country dominated by one man. Few tourists go there despite its fascinating, cultured past and beautiful countryside. Belarussians are friendly and hospitable yet they rarely have the chance to speak their minds and are deprived of access to unbiased information. They have been removed from the flow of European history by a tyrannical regime described by Condoleezza Rice, the former US Secretary of State, as 'the last dictatorship in Europe'. The people of Belarus were not ready for independence in 1991 and were misled into believing that the young, unsophisticated Alexander Lukashenko would lead them into a bright future. Instead he foisted upon them a dictatorship little different from what they had known before. Bennett's book tracks the history of Belarus from the collapse of the Soviet Union to the eventual establishment of dictatorship in 2006. It takes the reader through the excitement and mistakes of the first presidential election in 1994, undemocratic referenda and elections, suspicious disappearances of critics of the regime and the suppression of opposition. It ends with a close look at the enigmatic Alexander Lukashenko and hazards a guess as to how his regime will end. Belarus deserves to be better known; this book pulls back the curtainTrade Review'The author had the critical advantage of first-hand experience of Belarussian political transformations by living for several years in Minsk, the capital city of Belarus, from 2003 to 2007. His book is a clear and well-documented history of social, cultural, economic, and political change during the autocratic rule of Alexander Lukashenko, a welcome addition for scholars and students of the history and politics of post-Soviet Belarus. ... Lukashenko's fabricated victory in December 2010 will ensure a sustained interest in this book in the coming years.' * Professor Christian W. Haerpfer, University of Aberdeen *'Incisive and well researched - The Last Dictatorship in Europe is an important contribution to a shamefully neglected subject.' * Edward Lucas, author of The New Cold War *

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Book SynopsisStalin's American Spy tells the remarkable story of Noel Field, a Soviet agent in the US State Department in the mid-1930s. Lured to Prague in May 1949, he was kidnapped and handed over to the Hungarian secret police. Tortured by them and interrogated too by their Soviet superiors, Field's forced 'confessions' were manipulated by Stalin and his East European satraps to launch a devastating series of show-trials that led to the imprisonment and judicial murder of numerous Czechoslovak, German, Polish and Hungarian party members. Yet there were other events in his very strange career that could give rise to the suspicion that Field was an American spy who had infiltrated the Communist movement at the behest of Allen Dulles, the wartime OSS chief in Switzerland who later headed the CIA. Never tried, Field and his wife were imprisoned in Budapest until 1954, then granted political asylum in Hungary, where they lived out their sterile last years. This new biography takes a fresh look at Field's relationship with Dulles, and his role in the Alger Hiss affair. It sheds fresh light upon Soviet espionage in the United States and Field's relationship with Hede Massing, Ignace Reiss and Walter Krivitsky. It also reassesses how the increasingly anti-Semitic East European show-trials were staged and dissects the 'lessons' which Stalin sought to convey through them.Trade Review'Sharp's gripping book provides the most detailed account of Noel Field, [whose] journey from a pro-communist Westerner to a pawn in Stalin's Hungarian show trials is unusual and enlightening... invaluable for gaining an insight into one of the many mysteries of the Cold War.' * Budapest Business Journal *'Stalin's American Spy is a compelling piece of work. It is historically rich, and yet moves along like a novel. Noel Field can be seen as an emblem of the ideology war of the '30s and its lost history. Moving and impressive.' * Robert Dover, author of Learning from the Secret Past: Cases in British Intelligence History *'This is a superb and original book in a much under-researched area. A fine work of history.' * Gerry Hughes, Lecturer in Military History, Aberystwyth University, and author of Britain, Germany and the Cold War: the search for a European Detente, 1949-1967 *'This is the first truly authentic, comprehensive and factual analysis in English of the fascinating life of Noel Field, one of the most mysterious figures on Stalin's chessboard of spies, agents and stooges. The author's gripping account is more than a personal biography of a legendary figure. This book is also essential reading for understanding the world of Stalinist show trials and key chapters of the Cold War in Europe.' * Paul Lendvai, journalist and author of Hungary: Between Democracy and Authoritarianism and Austria: New Challenges, Old Demons *

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Book SynopsisIndira Gandhi's last years in office as India's prime minister ran from January 1980 to her assassination in October 1984 but until now no book has been devoted to her final term. Among the principal themes discussed in this innovative volume are how Indian politics and society changed in the 1970s, including the State of Emergency (1975-77); Congress's response to insurgency in Punjab, Assam and Kashmir; the rise of new forms of political mobilisation in the early 1980s; and the prime minister's relationship with the key institutions of state. Maiorano also reveals how Mrs Gandhi's policies in the 1980s impacted on the big industrialists, the middle class, the rich peasantry and the poor, thereby crucially re-orienting India's economic strategy. 'Autumn of the Matriarch' is the first major study of Mrs Gandhi's last years in power, an important juncture in India's recent history, as it was then that trends emerged that influenced the country for the next three decades.Trade ReviewIn an elegantly written and compact study, [Maiorano] sketches the shift Gandhi brought about from a Congress with a strong base in India's rural areas to one that relied critically on a threeway alliance combining the state, the urban middle class and India's corporate sector ... This account of the weakness and vulnerability of India's institutions makes sobering reading. * Survival journal *This fine book is the first comprehensive analysis of Indira Gandhi's last spell in power and fills a major gap in our understanding. It examines her drive for personal rule and its corrosive impact on democratic institutions, and assesses her manipulation of dangerous communal forces which ultimately led to her own demise. And yet it is also an admirably balanced account of crucial economic and other policy issues, and much else besides. -- James Manor, Emeka Ayaoku Professor Emeritus of Commonwealth StudiesA meticulously researched and lucidly written study that offers a much needed reappraisal of a central figure and a pivotal decade in Indian politics. Maiorano is a fine scholar, measured and perceptive in his assessments, challenging simplistic views of Indira Gandhi and the 1980s. -- Rochana Bajpai, Associate Professor, Department of Politics and International StudiesMaiorano's study of Indira Gandhi's final term in office is illuminating. His carefully crafted analysis, interweaving national and state level dynamics, contributes to our understanding of Indian politics during this period, and of her legacies to contemporary Indian politics, economy and society. -- Katharine Adeney, Director of the Institute of Asia and Pacific Studies * University of Nottingham *In this penetrating study of Indian politics in the 1980s Diego Maiorano shows how, in her last term as prime minister, Indira Gandhi contributed to making the hard task of governing India even harder, making choices that helped bring to the fore the Hindu nationalism, regional and caste oriented politics and venal political culture of today's India. The revealing picture he draws of India then is invaluable in understanding the country now. -- James Chiryankandath, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, London and editor of 'Parties and Political Change in South Asia''Diego Maiorano has ... produced an analytical study that offers some original insights into an important if dark period in Indian political life. ... perhaps the most original finding of his book is its argument that Mrs Gandhi used her final term to inaugurate a new alliance between the state, the corporate sector and the middle class. ... [Maiorano's] enthusiasm for his subject is infectious and his research very impressive. He has painstakingly read the Indian daily press for the period on which he focuses and has also interviewed a wide range of Indian politicians, journalists and political scientists. * Standpoint *[Maiorano] provides an important insight into the later implications for India of Gandhi’s time in power. * The World Today *

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Book SynopsisBorn in Margilan, Central Asia on the eve of the Russian Revolution of 1917, Ruzi Nazar had one of the most exciting lives of the twentieth century. Charming, intellectually brilliant and passionately committed to the liberation of Central Asia from Russian rule, his life was a series of adventures and narrow escapes. He was successively a Soviet student, a Red Army officer, an officer in the German Turkestan Legion during World War II, a fugitive living in postwar Germany's underworld, and finally an immigrant to the United States who rose high in the CIA. Here he mixed with the powerful and famous, represented the US as a diplomat in Ankara and Bonn, and became an undercover agent in Iran after the hostage crisis of 1979-81. Nazar's foresight was formidable. He predicted that communism would collapse from within, briefing Reagan on the weakness of the Soviet system before the Reagan-Gorbachev talks. A Muslim who rejected Islamism, his warnings to the US government about the dangers of Islamic radicalism fell on deaf ears.This remarkable biography casts unique light on the lives of people caught up in the turmoil of the Soviet Union, World War II, the Cold War, and the struggle of nationalities deprived of their freedom by communism to regain independence.Trade Review'Ruzi Nazar led a truly remarkable life, and in A Dark Path To Freedom, Enver Altayli, one of Turkey's leading specialists on Central Asia and a friend of Nazar for more than half a century, has turned it into a breathtaking book.' * The Scotsman * 'A Dark Path to Freedom is one of the most amazing spy stories of recent times. It follows a fascinating journey from Stalin's Russia to Nazi Germany and onwards through the clandestine Cold War to the Iranian Revolution of 1979. This is essential reading for anyone interested in secret service in the Middle East and Central Asia.' -- Richard Aldrich, Leverhulme Major Research Fellow in Politics & International Relations, University of Warwick 'It is rare for individuals to have had such a varied life and to have played as important a role against a range of intelligence adversaries as did Ruzi Nazar. This is a thrilling story of one man's struggle against Nazism, Soviet communism, and radical Islam.' -- Michael Goodman, Professor in Intelligence and International Affairs, King's College London Department of War Studies 'What an extraordinary life! If one wrote this survival story as fiction it would be hard to believe. A Dark Path to Freedom is especially useful in its first-hand details of often reviled movements, from the Nazis to Turkey's far-right--though for Nazar himself, the decolonisation of Central Asia was paramount.' -- Hugh Poulton, author of Top-Hat, the Grey Wolf and the Crescent: Turkish Nationalism and the Turkish Republic 'In A Dark Path to Freedom, Enver Altayli captures the sweep of history through the remarkable life of Ruzi Nazar, taking the reader on a lively journey from Central Asia on the eve of World War II, to the horror of that conflict, the intrigue of the ensuing Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union.' -- Benjamin Fortna, Director of the School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies, University of Arizona

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Book SynopsisSayyid Qutb (1906–1966) was an influential Egyptian ideologue credited with establishing the theoretical basis for radical Islamism in the postcolonial Sunni Muslim world. Lacking a pure understanding of the leader’s life and work, the popular media has conflated Qutb’s moral purpose with the aims of bin Laden and al-Qaeda. He is often portrayed as a terrorist, Islamo-Fascist, and advocate of murder. This book rescues Qutb from misrepresentation, tracing the evolution of his thought within the context of his time. An expert on social protest and political resistance in the modern Middle East, as well as Egyptian nationalism, John Calvert recounts Qutb’s life from the small village in which he was raised to his execution at the behest of Abd al-Nasser’s regime. His study remains sensitive to the cultural, political, social, and economic circumstances that shaped Qutb’s thought—major developments that composed one of the most eventful periods in Egyptian history. These years witnessed the full flush of Britain’s tutelary regime, the advent of Egyptian nationalism, and the political hegemony of the Free Officers. Qutb rubbed shoulders with Taha Husayn, Naguib Mahfouz, and Abd al-Nasser himself, though his Islamism originally had little to do with religion. Only in response to his harrowing experience in prison did Qutb come to regard Islam and kufr (infidelity) as oppositional, antithetical, and therefore mutually exclusive. Calvert shows how Qutb repackaged and reformulated the Islamic heritage to pose a challenge to authority, including those who claimed (falsely, he believed) to be Muslim.Trade Review'This rich and carefully researched biography sets Qutb for the first time in his Egyptian context, rescuing him from caricature without whitewashing his radicalism. It is no small achievement.'—The Economist; 'In one of the first serious English-language biographices of Qutb, Calvert puts this often misunderstood figure into his historical context, situating Qutb within the turbulent intellectual and political flow of Egyptian and Arab history. . . . The Qutb which emerges from Calvert's even-handed history is far more complex and interesting than the caricature of him which dominates popular understanding. Anyone interested in the evolution of Islamism in the 20th century should read it.' —Atlantic Monthly; 'Given that Qutb is taught in a large (and increasing) number of campuses, and given that he has already been introduced to the general public in bestselling books such as Lawrence Wright's the Looming Tower, the very publication of a Qutb biography is likely to attract considerable interest. … The book not only constitutes what is likely to remain the definitive biography of Sayyid Qutb, it also offers crucial new insights on the post-1954 history of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, another gaping hole in the literature. We are dealing here with a rare book that is likely to become a classic in the field of political Islam. … An outstanding volume.' –– Thomas Hegghammer, Harvard University; 'John Calvert's biography of the man now regarded as the father of radical Islam reveals an ideology forged in the fires of post-colonial Egypt.'—The National (Abu Dhabi)

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Book SynopsisXi Jinping wants to become the world's most powerful leader. To succeed, he must balance Mao's Little Red Book with the Analects of Confucius, and more. For Xi, the task ahead of China is to preserve the guiding ideology of Marxism, while challenging mistaken credos like neoliberalism, constitutional democracy, and 'universal values'. China must have total faith in its own brand of socialism, blended meaningfully with Chinese tradition. And this system must revolve around one man--around Xi and 'Xi-ism'. François Bougon's compelling biography exposes the historical, philosophical, political and personal narratives that Xi has skilfully woven together to create a superpower in his own image. Is Xi's China a land of 'new market totalitarianism'? Will this be the price of the Chinese dream?Trade Review'Bougon . . . peers into the black box of Xi’s ambitions and strategy.’'Compact and accessible.''One of the best features of 'Inside the Mind of Xi Jinping', an information-packed, briskly written and engaging work by François Bougon, is the way it makes sense of contradictions like these.' * Times Literary Supplement *‘[A] livel[y] and … accessible biograph[y] of the Chinese leader.’ -- New Statesman, 'Books of the Year 2022'‘Bougon . . . peers into the black box of Xi’s ambitions and strategy.’' An engaging analysis of Xi’s thinking based on the Chinese leader’s own words . . . it has much to offer as a guide to contemporary Chinese political thought.''A riveting biography, "Inside the Mind of Xi Jinping" delves deep into the mindset of the Chinese President.''An engrossing and vitally significant book.''A rare journalistic attempt . . . refreshing.''French journalist Bougon's compelling account delves deep into the mentality of the Chinese president . . . offer[ing] important insights for anyone interested in understanding the mindset of the current Chinese leader and the implications for China’s prospects. Timely, accessible, and concise.'A succinct account of the Xi Jinping phenomenon by an eyewitness to the key moments of his rise--but with a healthy dose of scepticism. Bougon sheds highly readable, and often humorous, light on China's seemingly omnipotent leader, and on how he is shaping our world. -- Kerry Brown, author of 'The World According to Xi'An excellent account of Xi Jinping's life and career, what drives him, and why he is different from his predecessors. Its range and depth are impressive. -- Jonathan Fenby, author of 'The Penguin History of Modern China'Timely and compact, 'Inside the Mind of Xi Jinping' probes China's current posture through the thinking of its most assured leader since Mao. Unlike his counterparts in the West, Xi emerges as cultured, capable, politically adept and unashamedly authoritarian. The world, no less than China, should take note. -- John Keay, author of 'China: A History'

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Book Synopsis'Adam Gopnik has taken a coincidence and turned it into a theory of everything, or at least of everything important ... Outstanding' - Andrew MarrOn February 12th, 1809, two men were born an ocean apart: Abraham Lincoln in a one-room Kentucky log cabin; Charles Darwin on an English country estate. Each would see his life's work transform mankind's understanding of itself. In this bicentennial twin portrait, Adam Gopnik shows how these two giants, who never met, changed the way we think about the very nature of existence, and that their great achievements proceeded from the same source: argument from reason. The revolutions they effected shaped the world we live in, while the intellectual heritage and method that informed their parallel lives has profound implications for our present age. Filled with little-known stories and unfamiliar characters, Angels and Ages reveals these men in a new, shared light, and provides a fascinating insight into the origins of our modern vision and liberal values.Trade Review'Adam Gopnik has taken a coincidence and turned it into a theory of everything, or at least of everything important ... Outstanding' * Andrew Marr *'Vivid and charming ... Gopnik moves from the personal to the political with ease, and his writing hums with authenticity' * Financial Times *'Adam Gopnik is a great essayist, with a precise, fastidious, if occasionally mannered style.... His insights are good and the book is informed by the author's profound liberalism' * New Statesman *'This is the essay every essayist would like to have written...he teases, returns again, holds back punchlines and concludes dense paragraphs with intense little summary bombs... The core of the book, the chemical conversion of coincidence to idea, is the proposition that Darwin and Lincoln both entered a world in which people understood themselves vertically - God above, Hell below...outstanding essay' * Daily Telegraph *'Gopnik knows well enough that Darwin and Lincoln's shared birth date is a mere accident of history, but he comes as close as anyone can in convincing you otherwise' * New Scientist *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Angels and Ages. Lincoln's Mind. Darwin's Eye. Lincoln in History. Darwin in Time. Ages and Angels. A Bibliographic Note.

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Book SynopsisQueen Victoria (4 May 1819 - 22 Jan 1901) is the UK's second longest-reigning monarch after Queen Elizabeth II, with 64 years between becoming queen in 1837 and her death in 1901. This book describes her extraordinary life and reign, her strength and achievements. 24 May 2019 is the 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria's birth.

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Book SynopsisSon of a scientifically-minded Scottish aristocrat, Basil Hall joined the Royal Navy at the age of 13 in 1802. His first naval engagements in America and Spain during the Peninsular War are described, as are his travels in India and the Far East. His renowned interview with Napoleon, while still a prisoner on St. Helena is featured. He was a confidante of Sir Walter Scott, Dickens and many other distinguished authors of his day. Renowned for his curiosity and energy, he became a popular writer himself based on his world-wide travels and adventures, including his involvement in the liberation of Peru and friendship with General San Martin. He embarked on an epic, 10,000-mile journey with his family in North America and twice journeyed across the sub-continent of India under the patronage of the Admiral Sir Samuel Hood, providing delightful vignettes of Indian life of the time. Subsequent travels in Europe introduce personalities such as Lord Byron and the eccentric Countess Purgstall. Although the narrative of his journey in the United States earned him great opprobrium from Americans for his conservative attitudes, his support in Edinburgh to the great American bird painter, John James Audubon, was greatly appreciated by the artist. As an amateur scientist, Hall made important contributions to nautical astronomy, geology and naval technology, being a Fellow of both the Royal Society and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Among his scientific friends were Sir John Herschel, Mary Somerville, and Sir Humphrey Davy, among many others. He was in the unusually privileged position of moving among the upper echelons of British society's distinguished writers, scientists and politicians thus providing a fascinating insight into the mores and manners of high society in Edinburgh and London. The inclusion of previously unpublished and often revealing correspondence has contributed to the first full biography of a very colourful individual and his times.Trade Review'The result is a good read about a truly fascinating man, skillfully brought to life by an author not afraid to show his subject's negative traits as well as his many positive ones. It is good to see Captain Basil Hall put back on the historical "map" of his age through James McCarthy's comprehensive research and engaging style.' Undiscovered Scotland: The Ultimate Online Guide 'James McCarthy has skillfully drawn upon Basil Hall's two-volume diaries, Extracts from a Journal, that recount his experiences along the coasts of Chile, Peru and Mexico between 1820 and 1822. He includes previously unpublished and often revealing correspondence, as well as adding an extensive bibliography. ...a remarkable insight into the high society of both Edinburgh and London in the early 19th century. Above all, however, this book is a fascinating account of an extraordinary life, which hopefully may persuade readers interested in exploration, travel and historical biography to rediscover the writings of Basil Hall.' History Scotland 'This is the first complete biography of a fascinating man and his adventures at sea. At just 13, he joined the Royal Navy in 1802 and was involved in naval engagements during the Peninsular War. ... The author includes previously unpublished and often revealing correspondence which really brings the story of this remarkable man to life. A great read.' Sea Breezes 'Captain Basil Hall RN was indeed a most curious fellow. Son of a scottish aristocrat from whom he inherited a considerable interest in science, he joined the Royal Navy at the age of 13 years in 1802 (3 years before Trafalgar). His first naval engagements in America and Spain are well described, as is his career in the RN. It is, however, for his travels and achievements that this man really should be more widely known. ... If ever a man became known for his own curiosity, it was Basil Hall who was able to share his own adventures and travels by becoming a very popular author in his own right. In this work, author James McCarthy provides a readable, fascinating and probing insight into one of Scotland's most overlooked indivduals.' Ned Middleton 'The story James McCarthy tells so well is of a lost worldwhere the curious, privileged amateur was not yet overshadowed by professionalization. - McCarthy makes a rollicking good story of it. Hall's many travel and scientific publications reveal a man who combined professional interests and credibility with remarkably sensitive eye. - this well-written and highly entertaining book can be enjoyed by anyone interested in Victorian naval or scientific history.' International Journal of Maritime History '...its good to see a biography of such a strange and unusual character.' Bookgeeks 'With such a hero and such adventures, this should be a fascinating book. And indeed it is. ...a vivid picture of the daily life and times of seafarers and their families at a time of tremendous development in our maritime history.' Little Ship Club 'Confidant of Sir Walter Scott and Charles Dickens, this largely forgotten naval hero and explorer provides a fascinating insight into a long ago world of adventures.' Scottish Memories 'This is a well-researched and written account of the life and times of a noted naval adventurer and dabbler in the sciences and arts. ...James McCarthy has skilfully woven together the story of this remarkable man - a story which serves to demonstrate the dynamic role of Scots in the rapidly expanding British Empire of the post-Napoleonic era. McCarthy deftly reconstructs the Edinburgh society in which Hall moved with such ease and purpose. Indeed, Sir Walter Scott was prompted to describe Hall as 'that curious fellow who takes charge of everyone's business without neglecting his own'. Well illustrated and attractively presented, this book readily earns its place on the shelves of the library of the modern-day student of Scottish travellers and explorers'. Review of Scottish Culture

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Book Synopsis'...In this year celebrating the centenary of the conquering of the South Pole - it is more than fitting to have one of the unregarded figures of Antarctic history brought into the limelight of remembrance'. Extract from Introduction by Dr. Ross D.E. MacPhee, American Museum of Natural History As senior surgeon on board Discovery, Dr. Reginald Koettlitz played a vital role in the heroic period of polar exploration when Nansen, Amundsen, Shackleton and Scott dominated the headlines. He was awarded a medal by the Royal Geographical Society for his role in the Discovery Expedition, 1901-04. During the earlier successful three-year Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition to Franz Josef Land, Koettlitz fine-tuned his measures to prevent scurvy, became an experienced ski runner, dog and pony handler and expert in polar survival. These skills were available when Koettlitz was appointed senior surgeon on the Discovery Expedition led by Scott, but due to personal reasons and the inability to acknowledge Koettlitz's polar experience, both Scott's expeditions were beset by major life-threatening issues that Koettlitz had faced and resolved on Franz Josef Land. On the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition Scott and his four companions died on their failed attempt to be the first to reach the South Pole. In addition, Koettlitz travelled across north-east Africa from Berbera to Cairo on foot, mule and camel, crossing the Blue Nile to Khartoum shortly after the Battle of Omdurman. Before leaving for South Africa he assisted Shackleton in planning the Nimrod Expedition which almost resulted in the South Pole being reached. This well-researched account is enriched with previously unseen archive material such as correspondence with Nansen and photographs relating to polar history during the period 1890-1916.Trade Review' - this is a remarkable book, extremely well researched and wholly enlightening. - This thorough appraisal of a most gifted individual is well worth the price - ' The James Caird Society Newsletter

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Book SynopsisRosslyn Wemyss' life and career was both fascinating and brilliant - a most distinguished admiral who is very little known. As the Allied Naval Representative at the Armistice negotiations on 11th November, 1918, he left an indelible mark on the life of this country when he was responsible, with Marshal Foch, for the creation of Armistice Day. The negotiations took place in a railway carriage at Compiegne in France when the decision was made at 5.30 am to cease hostilities on land, in the air and sea at 11 am on that day. One of the most illustrious of Scottish admirals, he was a member of the Clan Wemyss, whose ancestral seat is Wemyss Castle in Fife, overlooking the Firth of Forth. Rosslyn joined the Navy at the age of 13 in 1877, at the same time as Prince George, the younger son of the Prince of Wales, they became lifelong friends. After they left Dartmouth they joined their first ship together and sailed around the world for the next two years. In his early career, this friendship found him posted to serve on two ships for Royal Tours abroad and on two of the Royal Yachts. In 1915, by then a Rear Admiral, he was sent to create a naval base at Mudros, to serve the Gallipoli campaign and was in command of the landings and then the evacuation of all the troops. The evacuation was so successful that only one man was lost from the approximately 140,000 who were taken off the beaches. From there, he was sent to Port Said to command the East Indies and Red Sea Station. For the next 18 months, the main thrust of his command was supporting the Arab Revolt and helping T.E. Lawrence and the Arabs, under Emir Feisal, to oust the Turks from all the ports on the eastern shore of the Red Sea. Without his support, the Arab Revolt would have collapsed and the legend of Lawrence of Arabia would not have been created. In 1917 he returned to the United Kingdom to become Deputy First Sea Lord, stepping up to the post of First Sea Lord at the end of the year. As First Sea Lord, he represented British naval interests at the Versailles Peace Conference. Through Rosslyn's rich archive of letters and reports and his own words, this book gives a wonderful insight into the life of a man who became one of the most popular and senior officers in the Royal Navy at the time, and who was known throughout the Navy as 'Rosy'.

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Book SynopsisLike all great men in history, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (1881-1938) can be viewed in a number of ways: as the founder of a state, a nation-builder, creator of political institutions, a moderniser of his society, an extraordinarily capable political leader, a successful military commander, an educator of his nation, one of the first successful anti-imperialist leaders of the developing world, and a statesman who deeply believed in and contributed to world peace. In this volume Ataturk's role as the founder of a modern state, secular and republican, is emphasised: the creation of a modern state was a pre-requisite for the modernisation o society and economy, and Ataturk's policy of friendship with all nations enabled him to concentrate on his great task of building and consolidating the new Turkish state. Also, it was the intention of the editors to bring out the universal significance of the Kemalist experience and to examine the enduring lessons which other modernising societies can learn from it. Close attention is given to the historical setting from which the Kemalist republic emerged - and the elements of continuity and change between the late Ottoman Empire, particularly in the Young Turk era (1908-18), and the Kemalist republic. Such a historical perspective is specially useful since in works on great historical figures the unique personality traits often overshadow the societal factors. One of the distinguishing features of the Kemalist revolution in the Islamic world is the emphasis on secularism: Turkey remains today the only Islamic country where it is one of the basic constitutional principles, and the legal system is completely secularised. Ataturk died in the prime of life, but he remains one of the towering figures of the twentieth century and exceptionally among the political leaders of the interwar years, his reputation has not suffered with the passing of time.Table of ContentsThe principles of Kemalism, E.Z. Karal; the Ottoman-Turkish state and Kemalism, A. Kazancigi; Ataturk as an institution-builder, D.A. Rustow; the nature of the Kemalist political regime, E. Ozbudun; Kemalism and world peace, V.I. Danilov; the Kemalist revolution in comparative perspective, S.N. Eisenstadt; the political economy of Kemalism, F. Ahmed; Kemalist economic policies and Etatism, K. Boratav; religion and secularism in Turkey; the modernization of Japan and Turkey, T. Hayashi.

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Book SynopsisWith more than 35 years experience of jihadist activism, Abu Mus'ab al-Suri remains the foremost theoretician in the global jihadist movement today, despite his capture in Pakistan in late 2005. After having participated in the founding of Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan in 1988, al-Suri, whose real name is Mustafa Sethmarian Nasar, trained a whole generation of young jihadis at his camps in Afghanistan. When he moved back to Spain in the early 1990s, al-Suri took part in establishing Al-Qaeda networks in Europe. In the mid-1990s, he rose to prominence in jihadi circles as editor of the London-based bulletin of the Algerian Groupe Islamique Armee, the most deadly Islamist terrorist group operating in Europe at the time. Al-Suri later formed his own media centre and training camp in Taleban-ruled Afghanistan, to which he returned in 1998. Building on his extensive military experience from the Syrian Islamist insurgency in the early 1980s, he contributed decisively to formulating Al-Qaeda's global warfare strategy. Throughout his writings there is a desire to learn from past mistakes and rectify the course of the jihadi movement. His 1,600 page masterpiece, "The Global Islamic Resistance Call", outlines a broad strategy for the coming generation of Al-Qaeda, with a keen eye for the practical implementation of jihadi guerrilla warfare theories. His ideas of how to maximise the political impact of jihadi violence and how to build autonomous cells for 'individualised terrorism' have inspired many jihadi militants of today. The book includes a translation of two key chapters from al-Suri's seminal work "The Global Islamic Resistance Call".Trade ReviewIlluminating. -- Ahmed Rashid * New York Review of Books *Al-Suri has been read at West Point, profiled by Lawrence Wright in the New Yorker, heralded by Newsweek as the 'Francis Fukuyama of al Qaida' and by CNN as 'the most dangerous terrorist you've never heard of'... One of the striking things we learn from Lia's book is how often Al Qaida's adversaries threw it a lifeline. * London Review of Books *This biography by Brynjar Lia, a Norwegian expert on the subject, is a welcome addition to books on Islamist extremism. … Ginger-haired and married to a Spaniard, Mr al-Suri went by several aliases, including El Español and El Rubio (the blond one). He was little known outside Islamist circles until the Madrid train bombings in March 2004 when Spanish investigators named him as a possible ideological influence, if not the actual mastermind. * The Economist *An authoritative volume on a man who is possibly the most important jihadi theoretician alive. -- Steven Brooke * The American Interest *A genuinely important and path-breaking book. -- Peter Hart * Globe & Mail *Architect of the Global Jihad is a compelling and meticulously researched biography of one of the most influential strategists and thinkers in Islamist circles. Abu Mus'ab al-Suri may not be a household name in the West, but his importance as a theorist, organizer and ideologue is difficult to overstate. For those seeking to understand Al-Qaeda and its affiliates, author Brynjar Lia's work is critical reading and highly illuminating. -- Craig Whitlock, Berlin Bureau Chief * The Washington Post *A groundbreaking analysis of the militant trajectory of one of the most important--albeit little known--jihadist ideologues of the post 9/11 era. It provides essential reading for any one eager to penetrate in-depth the intellectual environment and logics of radical islamist terrorist doctrine, thanks to Lia's remarkable mastery of Arabic language and Islamic culture. -- Gilles Kepel, Professor and Chair, Middle East StudiesBrynjar Lia's masterfully researched work remains the only known contribution to the terrorism studies field that parses the history and thought of al-Suri. Far beyond its utility as an historical analysis, Lia's work is extraordinarily timely as he extracts the finer points of al-Suri's now widely circulated theories that may have informed the conduct of the London and Madrid attacks. -- Jeffrey Cozzens, Intelligence and Terrorism Analysis GroupBrynjar Lia's book is an innovative, well-sourced, and thorough account of the life and work of Abu Mus'ab al-Suri. Lia’s book digs behind the myths and public speculation around al-Suri and gives a comprehensive picture of the man and his works. It is crucial to an understanding of international jihadi ideology and needs to be widely studied. -- Jeevan DeolA fascinating study -- Malise Ruthven * New York Review of Books *A brilliant, well-researched work. -- Lester W. Grau * The Journal of Military History *Lia's book should be essential reading. -- Marisa Urgo * Political Studies Review *This valuable biography of Abu Mus'ab al-Suri . . . contributes to the understanding of jihadi strategic thought, an area where incisive and thorough scholarship has been lacking. -- Daveed Gartenstein-Ross * Middle East Quarterly *Brynjar Lia has written an impressively authoritative biography of one of contemporary jihad's most important and influential thinkers. In Architect of Global Jihad, Lia charts the rise and consequences of Abu Mus'ab al-Suri’s prominence in al-Qaeda and how his worldview continues to shape and define the movement’s strategy and tactics. This work is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand al-Qaeda’s violent struggle and its likely future trajectory. -- Bruce Hoffman, professor, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, and senior fellow, Combating Terrorism Center, U.S. Military Academy

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Book SynopsisThis work is a highly readable introduction to Shaykh Mufid, the leading Shi'i scholar of his time, and it examines his contributions in the fields of jurisprudence, theology, and sacred history in clear and straightforward language.Trade Review"The series combines academic rigour and accuracy with jargon-free language. The book mades fascinating reading and helps to better understand the differences between Sunni and Imami theology and jurisprudence." * Islam and Christianity *Table of ContentsPreface 1 INTRODUCTION The Sunni–Shi‘i Divide Imami Shi‘ism: an Outline of Main Developments 2 THE TIMES AND CAREER OF MUFID The Buyids Imamism under the Buyids Other Religious Groups The Career of Mufid 3 THE IMAMATE: THE HISTORICAL ARGUMENTS The Mainstream Historical Tradition The Imamate of ‘Ali The Other Imams 4 THE IMAMATE: THE RATIONAL ARGUMENTS The Necessity of the Imamate The Imams’ Infallibility The Imams’ Knowledge The Imams and the Qur’an The Imams’ Miracles The Imams after Death Unacceptable Exaggeration The Occultation of the Twelfth Imam 5 THEOLOGY Mu‘tazili Theology Sunni Theology Early Imamism between Reason and Revelation Mufid and the Role of Reason The Dogmas of Imamism 6 JURISPRUDENCE The Principles of Imami Jurisprudence The Jurist as Deputy of the Imam Ritual Practices and Laws Specific to Imamism: Emblems of Communal Identity 7 CONCLUSION Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisAbd al-Rahman III (891 - 961) was the greatest of the Umayyad rulers of Spain and the first to take the title of Caliph. During his reign, Islamic Spain became wealthy and prosperous. He founded the great Caliphate of Madinat al-Zahra at Cordova and did much in his lifetime to pacify his realm and stabilise the borders with Christian Spain. He died at the apex of his power on Oct. 15, 961.Table of ContentsForeword 1 THE FOURTEEN DAYS OF HAPPINESS OF ‘ABD AL-RAHMAN III (r. 912–61) 2 AL-ANDALUS BEFORE THE SECOND UMAYYAD CALIPHATE What was al-Andalus? Arabs and Berbers, the Muslim tribesmen who conquered al-Andalus The conquered population and the process of conversion The Umayyad emirs: centralization, law, and clientage External enemies 3 THE COLLAPSE OF UMAYYAD POWER AND ITS RECOVERY BY ‘ABD AL-RAHMAN III (912–28) Muslims against Muslims: the Umayyad confrontation with Arabs, Berbers, and Muwallads Umayyads against Umayyads: the reign of emir ‘Abd Allah (r. 888–912) A new beginning: ‘Abd al-Rahman III becomes emir (912) Securing the central lands and the defeat of the Hafsunids (912–28) The frontier regions 4 CALIPHATE AND CONSOLIDATION (929–61) The adoption of the caliphal title and the minting of gold Extending Umayyad power in the frontier regions: the fall of Toledo and Zaragoza Betrayal: the battle of Simancas-Alhandega (939) Relationships with the Christian polities Conflict with the Fatimids and North African policies 5 THE CALIPH’S FAMILY AND HIS MEN The caliph’s family Men of the sword and men of the pen Slaves and eunuchs Hierarchies and egalitarianism among the Muslim population Christians and Jews 6 BUILDING THE CALIPHATE: STICK, STONES, AND WORDS The carrot and the stick Cordoba and Madinat al-Zahra’ The writing of history Scholars and men of letters Religious policies and the Maliki identity 7 ‘ABD AL-RAHMAN III’S LEGACY APPENDIX: How do we know what we know about ‘Abd al-Rahman III? Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisSHAH ʻABBAS (1571–1629) is the most well-known king of Iran’s Safavid dynasty (1501–1722), ruling at the height of its power and prestige. When Shah ‘Abbas came to power his country was in chaos. Yet within eleven years he had regained territory lost to his enemies, moved his capital city and begun a transformation of Iranian society. Few aspects of life were unaffected by his policies and the new capital he built, the spectacular Isfahan, is still referred to as nisf-i jahan, or “half the world”, by Iranians today. In this wide-ranging profile, Sholeh A. Quinn explores Shah ʻAbbas’s rise to power and his subsequent interactions with religious movements and artistic developments, reaching beyond the historical narrative to assess the true impact of the man and his politics. Thought provoking and comprehensive, this account is ideal for readers interested in uncovering the life and thoughts of a man who ruled during a period described by many as a golden age for the arts in Iran.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Preface Abbreviations 1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND The Safavids: the Sufi Order From Sufi Order to Ruling Dynasty After Isma‘il Qizilbash Culture and Society Imposing Shi‘ism Early Notions of Legitimacy, Power, and Authority Iran and the World: a Brief Overview 2 EARLY YEARS: 1571–1598 The Immediate Context: The Reigns of Shah Isma‘il II and Muhammad Khudabanda The Birth of Shah ‘Abbas First Attempts to Place ‘Abbas Mirza on the Throne ‘Abbas Mirza’s Second Enthronement Shah ‘Abbas in Power Shah ‘Abbas and the Qizilbash External Challenges: the Ottoman Truce External Challenges: Relations with the Mughals Gilan and Mazandaran The New Ghulam Army Shah ‘Abbas and the Sufi Orders Suppression of Religious Heresies: the Nuqtavis Shah ‘Abbas’s Temporary Dethronement Shah ‘Abbas and Political Legitimacy Shah ‘Abbas as “The Supreme Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction” 3 BUILDING HALF THE WORLD: 1598–1612 The Image of the World Square The King’s Palace The Royal Mosque The Shaykh Lutf Allah Mosque The Royal Bazaar Endowments Social Transformations: the Armenians and New Julfa Social Transformations: the Safavid Household in Isfahan General Economic Policies and Measures Shah ‘Abbas in Isfahan 4 RELIGION AND POWER IN ISFAHAN The Pilgrimage on Foot to Mashhad Shah ‘Abbas and the ‘Amili Clergy Systematizing Orthodox Shi‘ism: Shaykh Baha’i The Friday Prayer Controversy The School of Isfahan Shah ‘Abbas and Christianity Religion and Kingship 5 FROM HALF THE WORLD TO THE OTHER HALF: WARFARE AND DIPLOMACY Firearms The Battle for Khurasan: Shah ‘Abbas and the Uzbeks Narrating the Campaign The Battle against the Uzbeks Shah ‘Abbas’s European Diplomacy The Anti-Ottoman Alliance Diverting the Flow of Silk Travelers to the Shah The Western Front: Shah ‘Abbas and the Ottomans 6 THE ARTS IN THE SERVICE OF KINGSHIP New Artistic Styles A New Visual Identity Calligraphers and Painters Sadiqi Beg Afshar ‘Ali Riza ‘Abbasi Mir ‘Imad Riza-yi ‘Abbasi The Arts in Diplomacy and Gift-Giving The Embassy of Khan ‘Alam The Pierport Morgan Picture Bible Internal Gift-Giving 7 THE FINAL PHASE: 1612–1629 Ashraf and Farahabad Campaigns to Georgia The Royal Export Silk Monopoly Victory in Hormuz The Taking of Qandahar The Taking of Baghdad Succession to the Throne Shah ‘Abbas’s Death Succession and Funeral Conclusions Further Reading Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisMaulana Husain Ahmad Madani (1879 – 1957) was a political activist, Islamic scholar, and supporter of Gandhi during the struggle for India’s independence. Humane and fiercely dedicated whether campaigning against the separation of Pakistan, or in favour of democracy and inter-religious peace, he brooked no nonsense and fought relentlessly for what he believed in. Spanning a lifetime of campaigning and controversy, Barbara Metcalf’s compelling biography draws from Madani’s letters and autobiographies, as well as detailed knowledge of the prevailing political climate, to create an intimate and revealing account of one of the most important men in the history of modern Islam.Table of ContentsSources and Acknowledgements Maps INTRODUCTION 1 THE ARREST OF THE “UNDESIRABLE INDIANS,” 1916 Maulana Mahmudul Hasan, Deoband, and new political strategies The War and the “Silk Letter Conspiracy” 2 “THE PRISONER OF MALTA,” 1916–1920 The tribunal Travel Malta Everyday routines: mutual bonds, common commitments Colonial internment as a school for anti-colonialism 3 FLASHBACK: BECOMING AN ISLAMIC SCHOLAR IN COLONIAL INDIA AND MEDINA The family Everyday life and education in Tanda The formation of an Islamic scholar The Sufi path A sectarian conflict India, 1909–1911 and 1913 Maulana Husain Ahmad at thirty-five 4 BECOMING A “NATIONALIST MUSLIM”: INDIA IN THE 1920s Bombay, the Khilafat Movement, and political awakening The Shaikhul Hind, Maulana Madani, and non-cooperation The double strand of activism: the “Karachi Seven” and Islamic renewal Calcutta and Sylhet Principal of Deoband Mass politics, minority politics 5 WHO SPEAKS FOR MUSLIMS? THE CHALLENGES OF THE 1930s Maulana Madani’s character Non-cooperation and round tables Izhar-i Haqiqat, “A Declaration of Truth” The elections of 1936 Defending “Composite Nationalism” Differences: against the ‘ulama, among the ‘ulama The Shi‘a–Sunni dispute in Lucknow Transitions 6 “THE GLORIOUS WARRIOR”: AGAINST BRITAIN, AGAINST PARTITION A voice crying in the wilderness? Words as weapons: anti-colonialism, Muslim freedom fighters, sacred India Protesting and negotiating throughout the war Dividing India Partition CONCLUSION: INDIAN INDEPENDENCE AND THE CONTINUING JIHAD A final story In conclusion Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe greatest of the Mughal emperors, Jalal ad-Din Akbar (1542-1603) was a formidable military tactician and popular demagogue. Ascending to the throne at the age of thirteen, he ruled for half a century, expanded the Mughal empire, and left behind a legacy to rival his infamous ancestors Chinggis Khan and Timur. Renowned for his attempts to integrate the diverse religious heritage of India, he was a true polymath who although illiterate was widely active in a number of intellectual pursuits. In this fascinating biography, Andre Wink provides glimpses into Akbar’s daily life and highlights his contribution to new methods of imperial control, surveillance and record-keeping. Contrasting his reign with those of his nomadic Mongol ancestors, this lucid study is an essential read for anyone interested in the history of India and South Asia.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments INTRODUCTION 1 DIVINE NURSLING OF THE GARDEN OF SOVEREIGNTY Akbar’s birth Separated from his parents Akbar’s education 2 AN OLD WORLD GREW YOUNG 3 THE DAILY INCREASING DOMINION The Mughal army The conquest of Gujarat Kabul, the North-West Frontier, and the “Great Game” of the sixteenth century The conquest of Bengal 4 CLOUDS AND ELEPHANTS AND MUD Episode one: 1564–1566 Episode two: 1574 Episode three: 1589 5 TAMING THE MONGOL BEASTS The new court etiquette From Chingis Khan to Akbar: the rise of Mughal civilization in the sixteenth century Maxims of order Hunting and government Mongol vegetarians The emperor never wastes his time 6 MAKER OF THE INDO-MUSLIM WORLD Gunpowder empires American silver The imperial political system and its Indian foundations Land revenue and the peasantry 7 SERENE CITY OF UNIVERSAL TOLERANCE Akbar and Islam The Religion of God Peace for all Allahu Akbar After Akbar: the demise of the Religion of God 8 BEING AKBAR Endnotes Further Reading Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisSeutonius, a Roman historian, was the author of "The Lives of the Caesars". This biography sets the historian's career and his method of dealing with his subject matter in the context of Roman society in the early Empire, and draws a picture of the coherence of Suetonius's life, appointments, scholarship and literary activities. Seutonius is presented as a man of learning, rather than as a failed narrative historian. This portrait takes account of recent evidence concerning his life and seeks to clarify the character of "The Lives of the Caesars" as a description of emperors and Roman imperial society by a scholarly biographer who himself was in the service of a scholarly Caesar - the Emperor Hadrian.Trade ReviewHis book is an important contribution to the social history of the Roman elite in general as well as to Suetonian studies in particular. An integrated portrait of Suetonius and his age emerges, one that is compelling and imaginative. -- Classical PhilologyThis is an excellent treatment of a much misunderstood author, written with equal expertise in literature and in social history. -- Times Literary SupplementWallace-Hadrill’s refreshing approach to Suetonius is one that no social, or other historian of the Roman Empire can afford to ignore. -- Classical WorldTable of ContentsPreface PART ONE: THE AUTHOR 1. The Man and the Style 2. The Scholar and Society 3. The Scholarly Biographer 4. The Scholar at Court PART TWO: THE SUBJECT 5. Emperors and Society 6. The Emperor's Job 7. Virtues and Vices 8. Emperors and Culture Epilogue Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisEleanor Marx is one of the most tragically overlooked feminist intellectuals in history, usually overshadowed by her father, Karl Marx. But not only did she edit, translate, transcribe and collaborate with her father, she also spent her extraordinary life putting his ideas into practice as a labour organizer, feminist radical, and Marxist theorist.The outstanding exception to the omission of Eleanor Marx from history is Yvonne Kapp's highly acclaimed biography. First published at the height of feminist organizing in the 1970s, Kapp's work brilliantly succeeds in capturing Eleanor's spirit, from a lively child opining on the world's affairs, to the new woman, aspiring to the stage, earning her living as a free intellectual, and helping to lead England's unskilled workers at the height of the new unionism; being always more than, yet at the same time inescapably, Karl Marx's daughter. It is also, inevitably, an unrivalled biography of the Marx household in Victorian London, of the Marx circle, and of Friedrich Engels, the family's extraordinary mentor.During today's resurgence of feminist writing, organizing, and protesting, Kapp's foundational single-volume biography serves as a crucial corrective to a narrative that puts feminists and marxists on opposing sides of radical history.Trade ReviewOne of the few unquestionable masterpieces of 20th-century biography. * Guardian *A work of scholarship but also a work of art. -- Michael FootA work of vitality and of scholarship. -- E P ThompsonDoes full justice to both [public and private]aspects of Eleanor's difficult life. * New York Times *The 1,000 pages of Eleanor Marx rest onexhaustive and flawless research. -- Eric HobsbawmMasterful. -- Tristram Hunt, author of the Frock-Coated Communist: The Revolutionary Life od Friedrich Engels

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Book SynopsisIt describes not only the story of the estate and its very foreign owners, but also that of the English in eastern Sicily during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Not only was the Castello di Maniace the seat of a dukedom, but the estate had also been one of Sicily's greatest medieval abbeys and played a significant part in the island's past. The book contains maps and photographs from a collection long dispersed - sadly the last Duke of Bronte sold the property over twenty years ago, so they document a way of life that no longer exists. All facets of an unusual Anglo-Sicilian relationship, with mutual miscomprehension usually uppermost, are recorded here, sometimes touchingly.

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Saltire Society Scottish History Book of the Year Award In April 1816 Patrick Sellar was brought to trial in Inverness for culpable homicide for his treatment of the Highlanders of Strathnaver, the most northerly part of the Scottish highlands. In the process of evicting them from their ancient lands he had allegedly burnt houses, destroyed mills and wrecked pastures. There is perhaps no more hated nor reviled individual in Highland history. This outstanding new book, however, gives a balanced assessment of the man, a vivid account of a terrible episode in Highland history, and a riveting narration of a tormented life. Richard's book is an account of Sellar's life and times: that he was ruthless, avaricious, devious and cruel is beyond question. But his letters suggest a streak of idealism: did he really believe that the displaced highlanders would be better off, better fed, educated and housed in their new homes? Have the Highlands in the end become more productive and prosperous? In the course of his fast-moving and gripping account, Eric Richards looks carefully at these vexed questions.Trade ReviewPatrick Sellar and the Highland Clearances, Eric Richards' excellent, very fully documented study of the man, helps us to understand him much better...We need to be honest about Scotland in relation to imperialism, Eric Richards' subtle, imposing and highly readable book is of great service in this direction. Patrick Sellar and the Highland Clearances, Eric Richards' excellent, very fully documented study of the man, helps us to understand him much better...We need to be honest about Scotland in relation to imperialism, Eric Richards' subtle, imposing and highly readable book is of great service in this direction.

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Book SynopsisSir Hugh Plat (1552-1608) is remembered today for his two books, The Jewell House of Art and Nature (1594) and Delightes for Ladies (1602), but he was more than a mere occasional author, cookery writer or agricultural improver. The son of a London brewer and a lawyer by training, he spent much of his life exploring the mysteries of the world around him, his interests spanning alchemy, agriculture, gardening, cookery, cosmetics, distilling, food preservation, medicine, arms and armaments, military transport and raising rabbits in suburban surroundings. He was an inventor and adapter, a man of science in all but name. He takes his place in the community of innovators of early modern London, precursors of the age of science and reason that was about to flower.While much quoted, Plat''s life and works have been little studied for what they can tell us about his own career and his scientific and technological preoccupations. Malcolm Thick describes a man whose ideas came to be valued in the later 17th century; he explores his pioneering work on agricultural fertilizers and the recycling of the by-products of London''s nascent industries; and he discusses the interface between speculative alchemy and practical invention and innovation. Sir Hugh Plat was the man who brought pasta and macaroni to the notice of the English. For that, and for much else, he should be celebrated.

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Book SynopsisNelson continues to fascinate academics as well as the general public. He is still considered one of Britain's greatest heroes and featured within the top ten of the BBC poll of such figures. But why does Nelson still remain such a prominent figure in the national imagination? With 2005 being the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar, Victoria Carolan embarks on a timely reappraisal of Nelson, the myth and the man. Beginning with Nelson's early life and an analysis of the condition and practice of the Navy at the time of Nelson's entry into service, Carolan goes on to examine Nelson's naval battles before Trafalgar, particularly the pivotal Battle of the Nile in which the then Rear Admiral Horatio Nelson, with a fleet of fourteen ships, captured six and destroyed seven French vessels out of a total of seventeen and in the process achieved one of the most decisive victories in the age of sail and re-established British command of the Mediterranean. Devoting a full section to the Battle of Trafalgar, Carolan looks in detail at the build-up to the battle, the events and progress of the battle, at the Admirals of the French and Spanish navies and explains why the battle was so decisive in the Napoleonic Wars. She goes on to look at the immediate aftermath of Nelson's death and his state funeral and then to his legacy, the building of monuments (particularly Trafalagar Square and Nelson's Column), the development of the Nelson myth, his depiction in film, his value for propaganda purposes during the two world wars and the current state of scholarship on Nelson.

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Book SynopsisIn the summer of 1999, Michael Ashcroft (now Lord Ashcroft) became the subject of concerted attacks aimed at unseating him as Treasurer of the Conservative Party. His attackers were "The Times" newspaper and the New Labour Government of Tony Blair. This work tells the story of how he fought back.

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Book SynopsisThe British Prime Minister Arthur Balfour led an eventual premiership, but will always be remembered for the 'Balfour Declaration', in which he told Lord Rothschild that Britain 'favoured the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish People'.

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Book SynopsisAsquith's administration laid the foundation of Britain's welfare state, but he was plunged into a major power struggle with the House of Lords. The budget of 1909 was vetoed by the hereditary upper chamber, and in 1910 Asquith called and won two elections on this constitutional issue. The Lords eventually passed the 1911 Parliament Act, ending their veto of financial legislation. Asquith was Prime Minister on the outbreak of World War I, but his government fell in 1916 as a result of the 'Shells Scandal'.

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Book SynopsisThis is a biography of the Liberal British Prime Minister, 'Who Won the War'.

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Book SynopsisBonar Law was a prominent opponent of Home Rule for Ireland; he also served the shortest term of any of Britain's 20th century Prime Ministers. In 1922 he was responsible for ending the coalition.

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Book SynopsisParadoxically his success with the USA jeopardised his efforts to get Britain into the European Economic Community, for it was one of the reasons why the French President Charles de Gaulle vetoed Britain's application to join in 1963.

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Book SynopsisDouglas-Home had a complex career between the two Houses of Parliament, disclaiming his peerage to become Prime Minister. His term in office was short elected in 1963 he lost the election of 1964.

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Book SynopsisA passionate European, Edward Heath succeeded in taking Britain into the European Community. He was latter challenged for the leadership of the party by Margaret Thatcher who sidelined him during her period in office.

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