Biography: historical, political and military Books

Book Synopsis"And now comes a man who thinks like, looks like, talks like and is as close to the real Conan Doyle as possible. He is Mark McPherson."- John Bennett ShawBut on his own account, since childhood Mark McPherson''s interest in the worlds of Arthur Conan Doyle and his Great Detective have become a realized dimension of his life. A professed student of the mysterious and arcane who turned his love toward investigation, he would eventually create the DAEDALOS Investigative Agency and address a host of the world''s greatest literary, historical, paranormal, and criminal enigmas. Called "a real life Sherlock Holmes" and "Michigan''s Indiana Jones," McPherson''s explorations have involved the hunt for the Loch Ness Monster, the probing of sacred sites of Egypt''s Giza Plateau and a methodical pursuit of the Shakespeare Authorship Mystery. He has also examined the enigma of the Shroud of Turin, conducted The Final Houdini Séance and sponsored an underwater hunt for Atlantis and numerous archaeological expeditions in Britain in quest of the mytho-historical Arthurian legends. Reflecting his enduring interest in the subject of Sherlock Holmes, Mark McPherson sought and found the Dartmoor location of the "true Baskerville Hall" in conjunction with the Sherlock Holmes Society of London and in 1979 consulted with Scotland Yard in the unparalleled manhunt for the "Yorkshire Ripper." He was the first to present a commemorative plaque at the legendary site of "221B, Baker Street" in London in 1978. Nine years later he would confer with his friends Dame Jean Conan Doyle and Richard Lancelyn Green to create a dramatic "Evening With Sir Arthur Conan Doyle," followed by a decade-long series of critically acclaimed performances throughout America, Britain and Canada. As a popular lecturer, journalist, author, actor, playwright, film-maker and historical detective, Mark McPherson''s personal adventures have garnered him many distinctions, not the least of them being his honorific investiture as "Cecil Barker" for the Baker Street Irregulars. A member of the Amateur Mendicants and Old Soldiers of Baker Street, he was founder of the Napoleons of Crime of Detroit. He has also received numerous accolades from the Arthur Conan Doyle Society and a host of international scion organizations. Currently residing at "Gray Gables," a 169-year-old riverfront manse on the island of Grosse Ile, Michigan, Mark McPherson currently shares his reputedly haunted residence with his wife Dori and his ever-faithful "canine Watson," Bradbury. By his own Profession, An Irregular Life is "the first and last of my memoirs."

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Book Synopsis**LONGLISTED FOR THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE 2019****SHORTLISTED FOR THE CATHOLIC HERALD BOOK AWARDS 2019**A life of St Francis in verseThroughout her career Ann Wroe has constantly confounded expectations, following her own unique path. Now, in Francis, she turns to verse to tell the life of St Francis of Assisi. This is a sequence only Ann Wroe could write, combining a troubadour's musicality with full grasp of the moment, and a luminous sense of Francis as both myth and man, across history and culture, in nature and community. It is a remarkable and immensely beautiful book.St Francis was one of the most compelling spirits the world has seen. He was also a poet, a musician and a dancer. His world was coloured by troubadour lays, brightened by birdsong, ordered by the bells and chants of the Church and transfigured by the angel-lyres he heard about him. For Ann Wroe, this seems a good reason to write his life in songs. It is also an excuse to record, in songs, the many ways his presence and his music still linger round us. They surprise us in chance encounters in city streets; they waylay us amid the humdrum banalities of working life; they persist in the beauties of nature. Great spirits never leave us. They echo on and on.Trade ReviewThe most beautiful book I have read in a long time. -- Emma Duncan * The Times *This passionate series of engagements with the life of St Francis will stay in my mind for a very long time – I hope forever… This is a poet with a distinctive voice, a command of form and a lightness of touch matched by a depth of heart… Wroe so triumphantly [exercises the imagination] in poem after poem. -- A. N. Wilson * Spectator *[Ann Wroe] turned her formidable gifts to the saint of Assisi in Francis: A Life In Songs. It has a remarkable structure… (of which I am sure the saint himself would approve). It is a book which, written by one individual, manages many voices, and is almost choral in its glory. -- Stuart Kelly * Scotsman, *Books of the Year* *In our secular age, the book seems literarily heretical – triumphantly unfashionable. But do not imagine it to be conventionally devout. It does what poetry is meant to do, and seldom does: it takes you to another place while making you reflect on what it is to be here… Even as a non-believer, you want to hold on to this writing, as if to a book of prayer. -- Kate Kellaway * Observer *A superb verse biography of St Francis, by the queen of the unexpected life-in-brief… This is a book to press into the hands of anyone who has decided they have given up on “difficult modern poetry”. It’s so quietly traditional, so unashamedly lovely, that it seems almost radical… [Wroe] recalls John Clare in her close attentiveness to the natural world and the way she conveys a sense of spontaneous joy. -- Tristram Fane Saunders * Telegraph **Poetry Book of the Month** *This extraordinary book… is quite haunting… [Francis] is one of the saints who is appealing even in a secular age… this isn’t a book just for the faithful; it’s for lovers of poetry in life and literature... a wonderful little book. -- Melanie McDonagh * Evening Standard *Each poem is beautiful. The book as a whole knocked me for six. -- A.N. Wilson * The Tablet, **Books of the Year** *Ms Wroe's is a rare and beautiful telling. She takes the miracles of St Francis and sings them in four keys. -- Laura Freeman * Economist *The ever-inventive biographer [Ann Wroe] retells the life of Francis of Assisi in deft, lyrical rhyming verse. * Daily Telegraph, Books of the Year *The poems themselves are beautiful and clever… Wroe is at her exquisite best when directly tackling the most sacred of Christian images. -- Kate Maltby * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisIn the cataclysmic decade that is the focus of this book, Nigeria was subject to several near-death experiences. These began when the country nearly tore itself apart after the northern-led military government annulled the results of a 1993 presidential election won by the southerner Moshood Abiola, and ended with former military ruler General Olusegun Obasanjo being the unlikely conduit of democracy. This mini-history of a nation’s life also reflects on three mesmerising protagonists who personified that era. First up is Abiola: the multi-billionaire businessman who had his election victory voided by the generals who made him rich, and who was later assassinated. General Sani Abacha was the mysterious, reclusive ruler under whose watch Abiola was arrested and pro-democracy activists (including Abiola’s wife) were murdered. He also oversaw a terrifying Orwellian state security operation. Although Abacha is today reviled as a tyrant, the author eschews selective amnesia, reminding Nigerians that they goaded him into seizing power. The third protagonist is Obasanjo, who emerged from prison to return to power as an elected civilian leader. The penumbra of military rule still looms over Nigeria nearly twenty years after the soldiers departed, and key personalities featured in this book remain in government, including the current president.Trade Review‘Sharply written and well-informed.’ -- Foreign Affairs‘Riveting, [with] crisp, disciplined sentences and an engaging pace plus expert descriptions of colourful characters. This is how history should be written. [Each chapter] is virtually a stand-alone booklet offering entertaining and informative insights.’ -- Ikhide R. Ikheloa in Brittle Paper'Writing on Nigerian politics is treacherous: rumours replace data, anecdotes are treated as history, and personal beliefs are stronger than reality. Siollun’s fascinating stories overcome this, revealing a dynamic country full of surprises. This book is a great accomplishment, and millions of Nigerians will connect with it.' -- Toyin Falola, Professor of African Studies and Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities, University of Texas at Austin'Rich in biographical details and elegantly written, Siollun brings to life the key political actors in this transformational period of Nigerian history. He reveals the complex web of civil-military relations in Nigeria and vividly demonstrates the immediate and long-term consequences of military rule.' -- Maggie Dwyer, Lecturer in Africa and International Development, Centre of African Studies, University of Edinburgh'In Nigeria’s Soldiers of Fortune, Max Siollun has succeeded remarkably in accomplishing what many have failed to achieve. Disentangles, in a lively yet dispassionate style, the web of intrigue, brinkmanship, patriotism, nepotism, ethno-regionalism, courage, and flamboyance associated with post-colonial Nigeria.' -- Gloria Emeagwali, Professor of History and African Studies, Central Connecticut State University

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Book SynopsisA no-holds-barred biography of Viktor Orbán, the most successful--and arguably most dangerous--politician in Hungarian history. Through a masterly and cynical manipulation of ethnic nationalism, and deep-rooted corruption, Prime Minister Orbán has exploited successive electoral victories to build a closely knit and super-rich oligarchy. More than any other EU leader, he wields undisputed power over his people. Orbán's ambitions are far-reaching. Hailed by governments and far-right politicians as the champion of a new anti-Brussels nationalism, his ruthless crackdown on refugees, his open break with normative values and his undisguised admiration for Presidents Putin and Trump pose a formidable challenge to the survival of liberal democracy in a divided Europe. Mining exclusive documents and interviews, celebrated journalist Paul Lendvai sketches the extraordinary rise of Orbán, an erstwhile anti-communist rebel turned populist autocrat. His compelling portrait reveals a man with unfettered power.Trade Review'Lendvai's excellent book is a lively account of how one very smart politician has changed the weather in his own country. It is also an invaluable guide to what has happened over the past years elsewhere in the erstwhile Eastern bloc, while the rest of Europe has barely been noticing.' -- The Sunday Times'Thoughtful, entertaining biography ... The value of Lendvai's book lies in his penetrating explanation of why Hungary's post-1989 institutions have proved so vulnerable to Mr Orban's assault.' -- The Financial Times'Paul Lendvai, a veteran eastern Europe watcher, tracks the career of a man who started out as an anti-communist rebel and gradually turned into an autocrat ... [Lendvai] has become the doyen of central European analysis.' -- The Times'What Lendvai says in his new biography of Orbán should be taken seriously.' -- The Times Literary Supplement'Viktor Orbán, Hungary's prime minister, has become infamous for his ruthless crackdown on refugees and embrace of an unabashed nationalism. This first English-language biography of Orban captures how he turned himself into one of the most successful populist autocrats of our times.''Lendvai's book is both a profile of the man and a potted history of Hungarian politics since 1989. Unlike most journalists who pass hasty judgment on the country, Lendvai is well-informed.' -- The Spectator'In this well-informed and up-to-date biography of Orbán. . . Lendvai offers a detailed account of when and how [he] changed his spots over the years. . . . Lendvai's fair-minded book is a reminder that the lobbyists' claims about Orbán's democratic credentials and his goodwill toward the United States are fake news . . . As Lendvai makes it clear, he should be taken seriously.''[Either] Mr. Orbán has always been a right-wing nationalist and merely adopted the guise of a Central European dissident to curry favor with Western liberal elites [or] the other, less charitable explanation is that Mr. Orbán is a power-hungry opportunist. The truth, according to Paul Lendvai in his new book, "Orbán", is that he is both--and all the more dangerous for that. . . In a country as inscrutable as Hungary, Mr. Lendvai makes a valuable guide.''Paul Lendvai's book is sobering reading and its telling of the widespread corruption in Fidesz and the Orbán family is carefully researched. After laying down his brief to be truthful and dispassionate, he succeeds admirably.''[Q]uietly devastating . . . highly recommended.' -- Prospect Magazine'An astonishing story, told here in remarkable detail . . . an alarming, worrying and illuminating tale.''Brilliantly researched, knowledgable and richly detailed ... [Lendvai] explains why Orbán's Hungary ... is in peril.' -- Süddeutsche Zeitung'There is no doubt that in order to understand contemporary Hungary, one must truly understand Viktor Orbán. Lendvai's latest book is a must-read for those attempting to undertake this quest.''[An] uncompromising portrait . . . compelling.''This book explains Viktor Orban's evolution from a liberal, pro-Western opponent of communism in the twentieth century to a radical, right-wing and nativist authoritarian in the twenty-first century. It sheds light on how Orban can rightfully claim to be both Vladimir Putin's and Donald J. Trump's ideological soulmate.' -- Charles Gati, Senior Research Professor, School of Advanced International Studies, The Johns Hopkins University'Only very few people know Hungary and the personalities active there so well as does Paul Lendvai. Anyone seeking to gain a clear picture of developments in Central and Eastern Europe cannot ignore this book.' -- Dr Heinz Fischer, Federal President of Austria, 2006-2016'Paul Lendvai covers an impressive sweep of Hungarian history, starting with the gloomy events in the midst of the twentieth century to the encouraging liberal interim period and ends with Viktor Orban's destructive vision of an "illiberal democracy". Lendvai's remarkable book should be a warning -- beyond Hungary -- for the whole of Europe.' -- Franz Vranitzky, Federal Chancellor of Austria, 1986-1997'In Europe, Viktor Orban is the pioneer of populism in power. Paul Lendvai's excellent book is an indispensable guide to understanding the man himself as well as the increasingly authoritarian system Orban has been constructing in Hungary.' -- Jan-Werner Müller, Princeton University, author of What is Populism?'Paul Lendvai presents the story of Viktor Orban,the populist-nationalistic-authoritarian prime minister of Hungary in a balanced and masterful way. His excellent portrait exposes the personal characteristics and political methods of a talented, power-seeking and authoritarian politician. This book is a must read that helps to understand the phenomenon of populist demagogues.' -- Ivan T. Berend, Senior Research Professor, University of California, Los Angeles'A superb political observer, researcher and writer, Paul Lendvai tells the story of Viktor Orban, Hungary's world-famous leader, and his rise from rags to riches, and from a young revolutionary democrat to a chauvinist demagogue and a savvy, conservative statesman. As Lendvai explains so well, Orban won the loyalty of the majority of Hungarians by securing them a safe existence, free from parliamentary turmoil and from the alleged danger represented by "swarthy" refugees. In his relentless pursuit of money and power, Orban -- and his team of fellow former country boys -- gravely weakened the system of checks and balances, and extended his authority over much of the media, education, and the economy. Lendvai does not deny Orban's charm and outstanding intellect but warns of the damage his cold narcissism is causing to European unity, mutual trust, and humane behaviour.' -- Istvan Deak, Seth Low Professor Emeritus of History, Columbia University‘Orbán: Europe’s New Strongman is one of the most interesting and necessary critical biographies published in some time … a timely and well-written analysis of an important subject, which has resonance beyond the borders of Hungary or even Central Europe.’ -- Merion West

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Book SynopsisIn a world dominated by the British Empire, and at a time when many Europeans considered black people inferior, Sierra Leonean writer A. B. C. Merriman-Labor claimed his right to describe the world as he found it. He looked at the Empire's great capital and laughed. In this first biography of Merriman-Labor, Danell Jones describes the tragic spiral that pulled him down the social ladder from writer and barrister to munitions worker, from witty observer of the social order to patient in a state-run hospital for the poor. In restoring this extraordinary man to the pantheon of African observers of colonialism, she opens a window onto racial attitudes in Edwardian London. An African in Imperial London is a rich portrait of a great metropolis, writhing its way into a new century of appalling social inequity, world-transforming inventions, and unprecedented demands for civil rights. WINNER OF THE HIGH PLAINS BOOK AWARD FOR NONFICTIONTrade Review'A must read.' ‘A brilliant biography . . . [Jones] has given a vivid picture of London one hundred years ago.’ 'An engaging, worthwhile biography. … Jones uncovers the life of a historical ghost, nearly lost to the world' -- Choice‘The richness and wider implications of Merriman-Labor’s life and sojourn in England come out vividly in [this] book because of Jones’ careful research, analytical rigor, and lively writing.’ -- Journal of African History'Written with great verve, An African in Imperial London reconstructs the life of A.B.C. Merriman-Labor... Both he and his biographer provide a rich picture of London, particularly in his most important work... an enlightening account of what it meant to be black in the most powerful country in the world'. -- Peter Stansky'Historical rigour, literary skill and a deep sense of humanity pervades this splendid biography which recovers from the condescension of the past the world of Augustus Merriman-Labor.' -- David Killingray'The moving and surprising story of A.B.C. Merriman-Labor, both insider and outsider in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Africa and England, is also a compelling contemporary parable about the interaction between individuals and society.' -- Edward MendelsonElegantly written and meticulously researched for over seven years, An African in Imperial London presents the life and times of Augustus Merriman-Labor: Sierra Leonean writer, barrister, munitions worker during the First World War, and much more besides. This is an important addition to the history of Africans in Britain.' -- Hakim Adi

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Book SynopsisBased on exclusive interviews with the United Nations Secretary-General himself, this is the first book to explain how António Guterres thinks and operates, in an era of renewed great power competition and rising nationalism. The UN leader was re-elected for a second term starting in 2022; yet, after five years in the job, Guterres' discreet diplomacy continues to intrigue even politicians, diplomats and analysts. 'Honest Broker' introduces a world leader to the world public, revealing Guterres' profound religious convictions, and his views on issues as wide-ranging as women's rights, gay rights, global terrorism and the political influence of social media. Pedro Latoeiro and Filipe Domingues tell the story of an extraordinary life, from Guterres' long association with the Clintons, and the mistakes and defeats that led to his resignation as Portuguese prime minister; to his decade advocating for the world's most vulnerable as UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and the diplomatic plotting to sabotage his candidacy for the top job. Through over 120 interviews about Guterres' life and career before he became Secretary-General, speaking with several former heads of state or government and senior UN officials, the authors help us understand what can be expected from the head of the United Nations as he confronts the challenges of the 2020s.Trade Review'A fascinating insight into one of the key international figures of the past thirty years--what formed his character, his views and his ambitions, and what drives him now.' -- Sir John Holmes, former UN Under-Secretary-General and UK Ambassador to Portugal'This well-researched biography shows what a formidable political operator António Guterres is.' -- Jean-Marie Guéhenno, former UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations'Honest Broker reveals not only António Guterres' leadership, his common sense and his courage to undertake reforms, but also his empathy with the most vulnerable in society. As Secretary-General, he faces the great challenge of being a present and active force in trying times.' -- María Ángela Holguín, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia

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Book SynopsisCan you name the creator of the Territorial Army and the British Expeditionary Force? The man who laid the foundation stones of MI5, MI6, the RAF, the LSE, Imperial College, the ‘redbrick’ universities and the Medical Research Council? This book reveals that great figure: Richard Burdon Haldane. As a philosopher-statesman, his groundbreaking proposals on defence, education and government structure were astonishingly ahead of his time—the very building blocks of modern Britain. His networks ranged from Wilde to Einstein, Churchill to Carnegie, King to Kaiser; he pioneered cross-party, cross-sector cooperation. Yet in 1915 Haldane was ejected from the Liberal government, unjustly vilified as a German sympathiser. John Campbell charts these ups and downs, reveals Haldane’s intensely personal side through previously unpublished private correspondence, and shows his enormous relevance in our search for just societies today. Amidst political and national instability, it is time to reinstate Haldane as Britain’s outstanding example of true statesmanship. A Sunday Times Politics and Current Affairs Book of the Year, 2020. A Telegraph Best Book of the Year, 2020.Trade Review'An act of homage to a man for whom [Campbell] asserts lifelong admiration … [This is an] intelligent book.’ -- The Sunday Times'[Campbell] makes a persuasive case for his subject’s importance and, along the way, touches on larger questions of culture and governance … [With a] wealth of detail and insightful character sketches … [this is a] splendid portrait.’ -- The Wall Street JournalA work of real scholarship.’ -- The Telegraph‘Richly informed … [an] engaging biography.’ -- Financial Times‘[A] valuable book … the research has been done superlatively. … Anyone interested in political history who is unacquainted with Haldane will find this book illuminating and informative.’ -- The Spectator‘The author must be congratulated on shaking up the creaking cradle-to-grave style of conventional political biography. … Campbell has succeeded in his aim of writing a biography of Haldane which might serve as a handbook of leadership and statesmanship in this post-Brexit age.’ -- The Literary Review‘Well-researched and well-written.’ -- The Critic‘A noble undertaking that does much to revive the lamentably neglected legacy of one of Britain’s finest statesmen.’ -- The Irish Examiner‘[An] engaging biography … Campbell makes a good case that Haldane was a key catalyst in improving the effectiveness of certain aspects of the British state in the years either side of the first world war.’‘Excellent … [Haldane] is timely, well researched and reminds us what we owe to a great statesman.’ -- Reaction'There is something perennially fascinating about the sensitive polymath. John Campbell has written a magisterial biography of such a figure--an immensely readable account of an extraordinary life. This is, quite simply, a triumph of the art of conveying the texture of human affairs and the events of an era. It is a major and lasting achievement.' -- Alexander McCall Smith'A labour of love. Haldane is rescued from "the condescension of posterity", his achievement in war and peace is finally recognised, and his rightful place in history is secured.' -- Gordon Brown'An outstanding biography that will have Haldane recognised, at long last, as one of our very greatest twentieth-century statesmen.' -- Sir Malcolm Rifkind, former Secretary of State for Defence and Foreign Secretary'This captivating, ground-breaking book firmly re-establishes Lord Haldane in the national consciousness as a remarkable statesman of the early twentieth century. Many of his innovations are still flourishing today, and his thoughts on statecraft have much to teach our leaders.' -- Sir Anthony Seldon, British political biographer'My Grandfather found Haldane to be unfailingly kind and in particular supported him in 1915 when Haldane lost Office. This book brings Haldane marvellously to life, centre stage on the then political map of Britain. It not only remarkably tells Haldane's extraordinary and neglected story, but the exceptional images so cleverly illustrate his life and the turbulent times in which he lived. A must read.' -- The Rt Hon Sir Nicholas Soames'Impressively well-researched, wonderfully written and so obviously relevant to the present day.' -- Brendan Simms, Professor in the History of International Relations, University of Cambridge, and author of 'Britain's Europe: A Thousand Years of Conflict and Cooperation''We should thank John Campbell and we should thank Haldane. Haldane saw what our country needed and he quietly and brilliantly introduced those changes and creations, many of which are still with us. We in intelligence, and many others, are much indebted to Haldane. Mr Campbell tells us why.' -- Sir Colin McColl, former chief of MI6'Most politicians would view themselves as an outstanding success if only one of Haldane's reforms were credited to them. He transformed the British Army, brought into existence many of the great civic universities, and even proposed a Supreme Court 100 ahead of his time. John Campbell brings Haldane to the front of the political stage, where he belongs, and details well his supreme intellect and political method, which has so much to teach for today's politics.' -- The Rt Hon Frank Field DL, former MP'A welcome and enjoyable biography of a towering yet overlooked figure - Haldane was a transforming war minister, a visionary Lord Chancellor, a passionate supporter of education, and much more. Like the best biographies, this book casts revealing light on the times in which he lived.' -- The Rt Hon. The Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, former President of the UK Supreme Court'A refreshing and compelling new biography of the leading philosopher-statesman of modern Britain. Haldane has had enormous influence, not least in re-organising the British Army to prevent a quick German victory in 1914, as well as in developing British education, the security services and the machinery of modern government.' -- Martin Pugh, former Professor of History, Newcastle University, and author of 'The Making of Modern British Politics''I wish I could have read this as my guidebook before taking on my Prime Ministerial duties, back in 2009. Now I can only hope that current and future leaders will use their chance to do so.' -- Gordon Bajnai, former Prime Minister of Hungary'An immensely readable, painstakingly researched biography of a little-known polymath statesman to whom Britain is more indebted than it knows. In this Who's Who of early-twentieth-century politics, Campbell delves deep into Haldane's complex and fascinating personality, in so many ways ahead of his time. He makes his hero our hero.' -- Sir Peter Westmacott GCMG LVO, former British Ambassador to Turkey, France and the United States'A meticulously researched life of Haldane which rightly defines him as the ultimate polymath. Haldane's multiple achievements are a lesson to today's politicians: that so much more can be achieved by reaching across party lines when searching for benign change. We have all forgotten how much our military, intelligence services, universities and research communities continue to benefit from Haldane’s impact, a century later. This work sets the record straight.' -- Sir David Cooksey GBE, Chair of the Francis Crick Institute'The debt the United Kingdom owes to Haldane is as great as to any other statesman of the first half of the twentieth century. John Campbell's immensely readable study reminds us of the achievements of this extraordinary public servant. Haldane's instinct to work constructively across the Party divide shows the importance of broad consensus in delivering lasting institutional reform. His search for long-term solutions to our country's needs has never seemed more apposite.' -- Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury, former Leader of the House of Lords'A remarkably intimate story of an exceptional man who created the British Army of 1914. These carefully considered reforms, resolutely fought for by Haldane in 1907, saved the nation from defeat.' -- Major-General Sir Evelyn Webb-Carter'A truly superb book. Not only is it a remarkable biography of an extraordinary life, it also provides important insights into Haldane's role in laying the foundations of the British university system. It traces how his education in Scotland and Germany moulded his beliefs about the purpose of life and the capacity of universities to inspire minds that contribute to the intellectual advancement and well-being of society. A profoundly humane account of one of Britain’s most enlightened and influential, yet insufficiently recognised, reformers of the twentieth century.' -- Colin Mayer CBE FBA, Peter Moores Professor of Management Studies, Said Business School, University of Oxford'The great sadness is that Richard Haldane was Chancellor of St Andrews, Scotland's first university, for only two months before he died in August 1928. In inviting him to fill this key governing role, St Andrews knew it was appointing one of the most powerful, subtle and encyclopaedic intellects ever devoted to the public service of his country. This great and long overdue book explains why St Andrews was so keen to make him one of its own.' -- Sir Ewan Brown CBE FRSE, former senior governor of the University of St Andrews‘Makes the case splendidly for Haldane’s achievements and his importance to this country … Anyone interested in British political history who is unacquainted with Haldane will find this book both illuminating and informative, a genuine revelation … Truly a lifetime’s dedicated work.’

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Book SynopsisThe epic story of a man born into Caribbean slavery, who defeated Napoleon’s armies and crowned himself a free black king. How did a man born enslaved on a plantation triumph over Napoleon’s invading troops and become king of the first free black nation in the Americas? This is the forgotten, remarkable story of Henry Christophe. Christophe fought as a child soldier in the American War of Independence, before serving in the Haitian Revolution as one of Toussaint Louverture’s top generals. Following Haitian independence, Christophe crowned himself King Henry I. His attempts to build a modern black state won the support of leading British abolitionists—but his ambition helped to plunge his country into civil war. Christophe saw himself as an Enlightenment ruler, and his kingdom produced great literary works, epic fortresses and opulent palaces. He was a proud anti-imperialist and fought off French plots against him. Yet the Haitian people chafed under his authoritarian rule. Today, all that remains is Christophe’s mountaintop Citadelle, Haiti’s sole World Heritage site—a monument to a revolutionary black monarchy, in a world of empire and slavery.Trade Review‘Black Crown' grasps the essential tragedy of history, in all its ambiguity and contingency.’ -- The Telegraph'With narrative verve and a deep understanding of the country's extraordinary past, Clammer opens a window on to the life and times of one of the most tragic figures of the francophone Antilles, le roi Christophe.' -- The Spectator'Paul Clammer brings this extraordinary story to life in his deeply researched biography of Christophe, the first to appear in decades... a detailed and rewarding read.' -- History Today‘An excellent record of many different aspects of Haiti’s little-known history.’ -- Liberation'An important contribution to Haiti's little-known history.' -- Morning Star‘A great historical narrative that introduces the reader to an array of fascinating characters in an age of revolution.’ -- Counterfire'A rich story... important and well-written.' -- The Zambia Daily Mail'Meticulously researched and compellingly written, Black Crown is the biography of Henry Christophe we have been waiting for. Through Christophe's story, Clammer describes the country's transition from plantation colony to independent nation-state. Essential reading, not only for those interested in the history of Haiti but also for anyone seeking to understand the emergence of the modern Atlantic world.' -- Charles Forsdick, co-author of Toussaint Louverture: A Black Jacobin in the Age of Revolutions'The majesty of Haiti's foundations is reflected in the almost unreal story of King Henry Christophe. Bold, nationalistic, and unrelenting, Christophe long occupied outside imaginations that for a century subjected him to myth and ridicule. Black Crown is a major corrective to this: a carefully researched, beautifully written and deeply absorbing biography. It shines on every page with subtle insights on a story too little understood. Paul Clammer's triumph is to recover the man, his country, and his age, and present Haiti's proud black king in all his conflicting glory.' -- Matthew J. Smith, Professor of History and Director of the Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery, University College of London'This adds greatly to our growing understanding of the Haitian Revolution, its turbulent aftermath and the cutthroat politics of revolutionary Haiti. Clammer seems to have left no stone unturned in his research and brings a great deal to the table for both Haiti scholars and the general reader wishing to understand the reign of King Christophe. Black Crown also represents another point of evidence for an interesting question--do you have to be a professional academic to write a great history book? Clearly not.' -- Johnhenry Gonzalez, University of Cambridge, author of Maroon Nation: A History of Revolutionary Haiti

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Book SynopsisField marshal and statesman Gustaf Mannerheim (1867-1951) was the most acclaimed and the most hated Finn of the twentieth century. After three decades of loyal and distinguished service in the Russian Tsarist army, he returned to his homeland in 1917 to defend its new independence. This iconic figure led the Finnish forces as Commander-in-Chief during both World Wars, then ended his career as President of Finland. This new critical biography sets Mannerheim's entire life's work, and his often nerve-wracking decisions as a Finnish leader on the world stage, against the backdrop of his elite upbringing and lifestyle, his adventurous imperial career, his outspoken anti-communism, and his keen instincts for great power politics. Painful details emerge about Mannerheim's private life, and myths and rumours are scrutinised, as Henrik Meinander charts the complex legacy of this nationalist cosmopolitan who found himself fighting on the same side as Hitler. Meinander paints his portrait with strong contrasts and bright colours. This is the story of a multicultural Russian empire, a newborn nation-state treading warily between Europe's military titans, a front of the Second World War not easily reduced to moral binaries--and, above all, a shrewd political operator playing many a dangerous game.Trade Review‘Authoritative and accessible to general readers. . . . Finland does owe a great debt to Mannerheim. As with Churchill or de Gaulle, a proper assessment of his historical importance requires us to strip away the myths and focus on the facts of his career — a task Meinander fulfils admirably.’ -- Financial Times‘A sensible and readable summary … [Meinander] has succeeded handsomely. Mannerheim oozes good sense and generosity to its predecessors and deserves to become the new standard popular book on its subject.’ -- The Times'Meinander’s biography is riveting… [and] especially timely.' -- Diplomatic Courier‘Meinander's biography provides a clear overview of… [Mannerheim’s] exceptionally intriguing life.’ -- Traces of War'Marshal Mannerheim was an intriguing character, a titan of Finnish history, but a person I did not understand well. This book is a compelling biography, and a much-needed one as Finland joins NATO.' -- Dan Kaszeta, author of 'Toxic' and 'The Forest Brotherhood''Impeccably researched and elegantly written, this biography of Marshal Mannerheim tells the story of one of the most remarkable lives and careers of any twentieth-century leader: a life around which so much appeared to turn. Highly recommended.' -- Roger Moorhouse, historian, researcher and author of 'The First to Fight: The Polish War 1939' and 'The Devils' Allliance: Hitler's Pact with Stalin''A powerful biography of an oft misunderstood man who stood at the heart of Finland's history as one of its most important and complex leaders of the twentieth century. Meinander's epic biography deserves high praise.' -- Helen Fry, author of 'Churchill's German Army' and 'The Walls Have Ears: The Greatest Intelligence Operation of WWII''Henrik Meinander's eminently readable biography of Gustaf Mannerheim is a very well-rounded take on the life of this major figure of Finnish and European history. More still, it tells the epic story of Finland at a time of great upheavals.' -- Mart Kuldkepp, Associate Professor of Scandinavian History and Politics, University College London'A rich and balanced insight into the eventful life of Marshal Mannerheim. Meinander has brilliantly managed to construct a rigorously critical but empathetic portrait of his research subject.' -- Tiina Lintunen, Head of the Department of Contemporary History, University of Turku'Henrik Meinander's book is essential reading for anyone interested in Marshal Mannerheim's extraordinary biography, as well as those who want to understand the history and the present of geopolitics in the Baltic and Nordic countries.' -- Tuomas Tepora, Senior Research Fellow, Tampere University

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Book SynopsisWomen of the White House looks at the work, lives and times of the 47 women officially recognized as America's first lady. Through portraits, photographs, accounts and profiles, the book examines their contributions to the presidencies they supported and to the 230-year history of the role. The women who have held the position have evolved it from White House hostess to campaigner for social causes and a game-changing leadership position. A role model for the world, a powerful political player, a traditional yet modern woman – the position of first lady of the United States is many-faceted, complex and beyond high profile. Amy Russo explores how the social platforms these women established – from Mary Todd Lincoln's work for slaves and soldiers after the Civil War to Michelle Obama's fight for girls' education – have not only made the role iconic but also shaped America. Table of ContentsIntroduction • Profiles of each of the 47 women officially recognized as holding the position of FLOTUS • Index • Resources and references.

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Book SynopsisWITH NEW AFTERWORD FROM THE AUTHOR.When you're the most famous woman in the world, can you really love in secret?When Princess Diana flew to Pakistan in May 1997, she went to meet the family of Dr Hasnat Khan, the man she wanted to marry. One of the most well-known and beautiful women in the world, she hoped to persuade Dr Khan's mother that she would make a suitable wife for her son. However, this was not the only hurdle to overcome: the man she called her 'Mr Wonderful' was a dedicated professional who sought to avoid the limelight – a fact that would test their love to the limits. Had their relationship succeeded, the events of that summer might have been very different.Sharing powerful testimony from Diana's closest confidants, and that of Dr Khan's own family, as well as information released during the inquests into the deaths of Diana and Dodi Fayed, this book offers a unique insight into Diana's world and the events central to her last years.This special new edition of an international bestseller, released in the year that would've marked Diana's 60th birthday, features a new afterword from the author reflecting on the legacy of this most extraordinary of women.Table of ContentsForeword • Prologue • PART ONE - The Real Diana: 'I am unwanted' • 'I want to turn back' • The Unthinkable Happens • Home Alone • 'Just call me Diana' • 'I am destroyed, I am destroyed' • PART TWO: 'What can I do to help?' • 'Do you know Imran Khan?' • 'Maybe it's time!' • 'Isn't he drop dead gorgeous!' • 'Natty' • PART THREE: 'He's doing everything he tells his patients not to do!' • 'I'm sure we've met before' • 'I have finished my ironing. Would you like me to do yours?' • 'We should invite Ms. Bhutto for a special viewing!' • 'We are laughing ourselves silly over this' • 'I wouldn't be seen dead in virtually any of them!' • Caught between a rock and a hard place • PART FOUR: 'I want to marry Hasnat Khan;' 'Tell Dr. Hasnat to marry the Princess!' • 'Tell Hasnat I'm coming back' • Anatomy of a Kiss • 'Look here, I'm not for sale!' • The Rescue Mission • Her Last Love • The Funeral • Epilogue • Appendices: 1. Timeline; 2. Sources; 3. List of illustrations • Acknowledgements • Index.

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Book SynopsisFor fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Librarian of Auschwitz and The Choice, this is the incredible true story of a British soldier POW. In 1942, young British soldier Arthur Dodd was taken prisoner by the German Army and transported to Oswiecim in Polish Upper Silesia. The Germans gave it another name, now synonymous with mankind’s darkest hours. They called it Auschwitz. Forced to do hard labour, starved and savagely beaten, Arthur thought his life would end in Auschwitz. Determined to go down fighting, he sabotaged Nazi industrial work, risked his life to alleviate the suffering of the Jewish prisoners and aided a partisan group planning a mass break-out. This shocking true story sheds new light on the operations at the camp, exposes a hierarchy of prisoner treatment by the SS and presents the largely unknown story of the military POWs held there.Trade Review'compelling' * The Guardian *'An extraordinary book.' * Military Illustrated *'A human witness to inhumanity: Arthur Dodd’s account is another important piece of evidence.' * Legion, the Royal British Legion magazine *'Colin Rushton’s masterly account… is a harrowing addition to public knowledge of the Holocaust.' * Soldier magazine *'It is a riveting story and it is true.' * Barnes & Noble *'If we do not remember the past, we will repeat it. Truly an extraordinary book.' * Defence Focus, the House Journal of the Ministry of Defence *'a pertinent historical account' * Jewish Chronicle *'Simple sentences add a terrible innocence in keeping with Arthur’s ordinariness, struggling against the unimaginably extraordinary. History will be grateful that Arthur Dodd’s story was told.' * Scottish Legion News *

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Book SynopsisThe greatest Irish romances from history. With chapters on Inspirations, Love & War, Love Across the Divide, Secrets & Scandals and When Love Goes Wrong, among others, Marian Broderick tells of the men and women whose passions drove them to be together: often in the face of society, family, and even their own safety.

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Book SynopsisA graphic novel telling a thrilling tale of passion, courage and determination. Michael Collins was a hero in life, and in death his legend continues to grow. Joining the IRB in London, hetook his place in the GPO at Easter 1916, then created the Intelligence network that won freedom from British rule.

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Book SynopsisBook of the Week on Radio 4, and in the Observer, Sunday Times, Daily Mail and The Week 'Riveting, and immaculately written' Sunday Telegraph 'A superb psychological study of a literary genius' Business Post 'A rounded picture... and gets to Dahl's flawed, human core' Country Life 'Crisply done and well-judged' TLS A brand-new biography of Roald Dahl, re-evaluating the received narrative surrounding the life of the much-loved author and creator of numerous iconic literary characters – from one of our finest contemporary biographers. Roald Dahl was one of the world’s greatest storytellers. He considered his vocation to be as bold and exciting as an explorer’s and, in his writing for children, he was able to tap into a child’s viewpoint throughout his life. He crafted tales that were exotic in scenario, frequently invested with a moral, and filled with vibrant characters that endure in the public imagination to the present day.Trade ReviewDevotes a large chunk of his book to Dahl's Norwegian family and schooldays; their combination of warmth, tragedy, inspiration and savagery is brilliantly evoked... [His account] makes you feel grudging admiration for a bully whose self-belief was, in a way, heroic * Sunday Times *Superb psychological study of a literary genius... Matthew Dennison's biography of Roald Dahl manages to peel back the layers of an infamously complex man * Sunday Business Post *Matthew Dennison's streamlined text clips along with an economy befitting Dahl's brusque manner... Dennison presents a rounded picture [...] and gets to Dahl's flawed, human core * Country Life *A well-researched, compact book * Observer *This book is riveting, and immaculately written * Sunday Telegraph *Brace yourself for Dahl mania... Documenting the multi-layered life of Roald Dahl as a creative maverick who created some of the most well-loved characters in literature, this biography reevaluates Dahl by examining his surviving relics * Tatler *A crisply done and well-judged survey of the outline of the life * TLS *[An] impeccably balanced new biography * Mail on Sunday *An intriguing read about a vastly talented but morally weak man * The Anglo-Celt *Dennison recasts the narrative of the daredevil pilot and spy-turned-author as a rule-breaker, romantic and ultimately a child's friend * School House *An elegant new biography... capturing [Dahl’s] grandiose, tragedy-specked life. * The New York Times *

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Book SynopsisIf the American foreign policy establishment is a grand citadel, Henry Kissinger is the specter haunting its dusty hallways. For half a century, he was an omnipresent figure in war rooms and at press briefings, dutifully shepherding the American empire through successive attempts at expansion. For multiple generations of antiwar activists, Kissinger personified the depravity of the US war machine. The Good Die Young assesses a career too frequently applauded in essays from respected scholars and journalists such as Gerald Horne, Carolyn Eisenberg, and Chip Gibbons, with an introduction from Bancroft Prize-winner Greg Grandin.The world Kissinger wrought is one we live in today, where ideal investment conditions are generated from the barrel of a gun. Today, global capitalism and United States hegemony are underwritten by the most powerful military ever devised. Any political vision worth fighting for must promise an end to the cycle of never-ending wars afflicting the world in the twenty-first century. Breaking that cycle means placing the twin evils of capitalism and imperialism in our crosshairs.The book follows Kissinger's fiery trajectory across the globe, covering Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. More than any other public figure, the life and career of this man illustrate the links between capitalism, empire, and the feedback loop of endless conflict that plagues us today.Trade ReviewAmong all this catharsis, no one could surpass the 'unbeatable levels of hater' reached by the lefty publishers Jacobin magazine and Verso Books...[The Good Die Young] features essays by celebrated scholars like Gerald Horne and Carolyn Eisenberg on the wide-spanning breadth of Kissinger's noxious foreign-policy legacy and the areas of the world still hurting thanks to his time in power. -- Nitish Pahwa * Slate *The collection strikes a blackly comic but erudite tone, opening with an introduction by Yale professor Greg Grandin that explores how Kissinger's intellectual and professional trajectory unfolded across presidential administrations and in parallel with American power at large. -- Sophia Nguyen * The Washington Post *Table of ContentsPreface - René Rojas, Bhaskar Sunkara, and Jonah WaltersIntroduction: To Die at the Right Time - Greg GrandinAmericas1. Kissinger and the South American Revolutions - Aldo Marchesi2. Kissinger in Chile - René Rojas3. Kissinger in Argentina - Leandro Morgenfeld4. Kissinger in Central America - Hilary GoodfriendEurope5. Kissinger in Cyprus - Leandros FischerMiddle East and Africa6. Kissinger in Angola - Piero Gleijeses7. Kissinger in South Africa - Gerald Horne8. Kissinger in Western Sahara - Aubrey Bloomfield9. Kissinger in the Gulf - Chip GibbonsAsia10. Kissinger in East Pakistan/Bangladesh - Mukhtar Mirjan11. Kissinger in East Timor - Alex de Jong12. Kissinger in Cambodia - Brett S. Morris13. Kissinger in Vietnam and China - An Interview with Carolyn Eisenberg14. From the War Room to Wall Street - Christy ThorntonAcknowledgmentsAbout the ContributorsNotes

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Book Synopsis'Machiavellian' can signify duplicity and amorality in politics, but Machiavelli himself is far more complex than this cliche. A high-ranking Florentine government official and prolific writer of hugely influential political, military and historical works, Machiavelli was also a vernacular poet, first-rank dramatist and religious radical, rejecting not only the contemporary Catholic Church but Christianity itself. From champion of Florentine popular republicanism to political radical to conservative, Robert Black explores the many faces of the man described as the father of modern political philosophy and political science.

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Book SynopsisThe Special Air Service – the SAS – are known to be the greatest elite fighting force in the world. This book focuses on the most famous operations undertaken by the SAS from its inception during the Second World War to the present day, describing in dramatic detail the unit’s most daring and memorable missions in trouble spots across the world. Revelatory and gripping, the author weaves together the extraordinary true stories of this brave fighting force, wherever they are in action. From missions on home shores to Iraq, Sierra Leone, the Falkland Islands, Europe, Libya, Malaya, Afghanistan and more, SAS Battle Ready brings together both the history of the unit and some of its most powerful moments.From hostage rescues to ambushes, from sabotage to jungle warfare and from pitched battles to reconnaissance, it hasn’t always gone according to plan but the courage and devotion to duty revealed within show just what it takes to be an SAS soldier.

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Book SynopsisLearn how to think like one of history's most iconic cultural figures: Winston Churchill. Follow in his footsteps and discover the essential principles behind his success. Remembered for his leadership during the Second World War, Churchill’s commitment to 'never surrender', along with his stirring speeches and radio broadcasts, helped inspire British resistance to the Nazi threat when Britain stood alone against an occupied Europe. But as well as a hugely successful politician, Churchill was also an officer in the British Army, a journalist, historian and a writer, winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953. How to Think Like Churchill reveals the essential principles behind this fascinating leader, exploring the defining moments and enduring speeches that have made him one of the most esteemed figures of the twentieth century.

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Book SynopsisThey were the unsung heroines of World War II; the wives and mothers and teenage girls who clocked in daily to work in vast munitions factories, helping to make explosives, bullets, shells, bombs and war machines that would ensure victory. It was dangerous, dirty and exhausting work. They worked round the clock, often exposed to toxic, lethal chemicals. A factory accident could mean blindness, loss of limb - or worse. Many went home with acid burns, yellow skin or damaged hair, others were forced to leave their loved ones and move to live with strangers in unfamiliar surroundings. Frequently, their male bosses were coarse and unsympathetic. Yet this hidden army of nearly two million women toiled on regardless through the hardest years of the war, cheerfully ignoring the dangers and the exhaustion, as bombing, rationing and the heartbreak of loss or separation took their toll on everyone in the country. Here, in their own words, are the vivid wartime memories of the 'secret army' of female munitions workers, whose resilience and sheer grit in the face of danger has only started to emerge. Republished to mark the seventy-fifth anniversary of VE Day in May 1945, this revised edition now offers an entirely new, astonishing account of a young woman who worked in a vast munitions plant in Lancashire.

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Book SynopsisBertram Portal was born into a wealthy family, famous for their mill at Laverstoke in North Hampshire which made banknote paper for the Bank of England. The youngest of three sons, he was destined for an army career. Graduating from Sandhurst in 1885, he joined the 17th Lancers Cavalry Regiment at Lucknow in India. He was awarded a D.S.O. in the Boer War, which paved the way to promotion, and he commanded his regiment in Edinburgh and India until 1907. Portal then left the army and lived as a country gentleman, devoting himself to his home village of Overton until 1914 when he was called up as a Reserve Officer to command a training brigade in Ireland. He commanded the mobile column in the readiness at the Curragh near Dublin when the Easter Rising broke out in 1916 and he played a major role in its suppression. Portal’s diary of events reveals important new information about the British response. His exploits did not go unnoticed: he was promoted and served on the Western Front in command of the 7th Cavalry Brigade until March 1918. Retiring for a second time, Bertram devoted himself once more to Overton and Hampshire causes. In 1899 he married Mittie, the eldest daughter of Lord Hatherton, who bore him a son and five daughters. Their story as a family is woven into the narrative of the book. Bertram was a true gentleman – honourable, courteous, considerate and modest about his achievements. The welfare of his soldiers and their horses was always to the fore, both in peacetime and when in action. He was steady, capable and decisive with a strong sense of duty, guided by his Christian faith. This well-researched biography sets his life and career in the context of the times and will be of interest to a wide readership.

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Book SynopsisTwo months after his twenty-first birthday, a young Harvard student arrived to join his father the American Ambassador in London. Jack, as he was known to family, had no idea how his journey to England on the eve of war would come to change and shape his life. Jack’s beloved sister Kick was presented at Court that summer and hailed by the Press as ‘most exciting debutante’ that year. She introduced her brother to a small circle of young aristocrats, all descended from families that had long ruled England. Fascinated by books on Britain’s history and tales from the Court of King Arthur, Jack felt immediately at home. The eager student from Boston was soon sharing tea with a thirteen-year-old Princess Elizabeth, partying at Blenheim Palace and speeding across Europe as the borders were closing. Amongst the last to escape Berlin he would return with a secret Embassy note predicting hostilities ‘within a week’. With sister Kick and brother Joe he raced to Parliament to see Chamberlain declare war and Churchill rise to inspire a nation in its hour of need. Jack was spell-bound. He would forge lifelong bonds of friendship sharing such dramatic times with his young aristocratic circle. This family circle, after Kick’s marriage, would then come to play an astonishing role in shaping Jack’s actions from the Cuba Missile Crisis to Berlin when the free world came close to nuclear Armageddon. In John F. Kennedy: The London Story, the author reveals the extraordinary role Britain came to play in Jack’s life. By looking at his early life, we see how he became the man to lead and inspire the free world. Ideal for any history or politics enthusiasts, or anyone with an interest in how early events shape a life.

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Book SynopsisA charming and heartfelt story about war, art, and the lengths a woman will go to find the truth about her family. 'As devourable as a thriller... Incredibly moving' Elle 'Pauline Baer de Perignon is a natural storyteller – refreshingly honest, curious and open' Menachem Kaiser 'A terrific book' Le Point It all started with a list of paintings. There, scribbled by a cousin she hadn't seen for years, were the names of the masters whose works once belonged to her great-grandfather, Jules Strauss: Renoir, Monet, Degas, Tiepolo and more. Pauline Baer de Perignon knew little to nothing about Strauss, or about his vanished, precious art collection. But the list drove her on a frenzied trail of research in the archives of the Louvre and the Dresden museums, through Gestapo records, and to consult with Nobel laureate Patrick Modiano. What happened in 1942? And what became of the collection after Nazis seized her great-grandparents' elegant Parisian apartment? The quest takes Pauline Baer de Perignon from the Occupation of France to the present day as she breaks the silence around the wrenching experiences her family never fully transmitted, and asks what art itself is capable of conveying over time.Trade ReviewPauline Baer de Perignon is a natural storyteller – refreshingly honest, curious and open. Like the best memoirists, she manages to tell multiple stories simultaneously, to delicately layer meanings and narratives -- Menachem Kaiser, author of PlunderA charmingly told account of a woman's quest to reconstruct her great-grandfather's art collection -- Lynn H. Nicholas, author of The Rape of EuropaBeautifully evokes a vanished world that once stood at the crossroads between the heights of civilization and the depths of barbarism before being overwhelmed by the latter -- James Gardner, author of The LouvreA terrific book * Le Point *As devourable as a thriller... Incredibly moving' * Elle *Pauline Baer de Perignon transforms an unfortunately commonplace account of paintings stolen by the Nazis into a breathtaking novel of suspense * Le Figaro *Grips ever tighter as the investigation proceeds * FRANCE Magazine *Combines dogged detective work with family memoir * Apollo Magazine *

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Book SynopsisOn the night of 30 January 1933, Adolf Hitler leaned out of a spotlit window of the Reich Chancellery in Berlin, bursting with joy. The moment seemed unbelievable, even to Hitler. After an improbable political journey that came close to faltering on many occasions, his march to power had finally succeeded.While the story of Hitler’s rise has been told in books covering larger portions of his life, no previous work has focused on his eight-year climb to rule: 1925–1933. Renowned author Peter Ross Range brings this period back to startling life with a narrative history that describes brushes with power, quests for revenge, nonstop electioneering and underhand campaign tactics. For Hitler, moments of gloating triumph were followed by abject humiliation.This is the tale of a school dropout’s climb from the infamy of a failed coup to Germany’s highest office. It is a saga of personal growth and lavish living, a melodrama rife with love affairs and even suicide attempts. But it is also the definitive account of Hitler’s unrelenting struggle for control over his raucous movement as he fought off challenges, built and bullied coalitions, quelled internecine feuds and neutralised his enemies – all culminating in the creation of the Third Reich and the world’s descent into darkness.One of the most dramatic and important stories of the twentieth century, Hitler’s ascent spans Germany’s wobbly recovery from the First World War through years of growing prosperity and, finally, into crippling depression. Masterfully woven into an unforgettable and urgent narrative, The Unfathomable Ascent will remind us of what we should never forget.Trade ReviewA fast-paced tour-de-force that shows how the German republic wrecked itself from within, Peter Ross Range's The Unfathomable Ascent is a must-read for anyone interested in Adolf Hitler's march to power or the tragic fragility of democracy -- David King * author of The Trial of Adolf Hitler *

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Book SynopsisOn the night of 4 April 1793, two lovers were preparing to compel a cleric to perform a secret ceremony. The wedding of the sixth son of King George III to the daughter of the Earl of Dunmore would not only be concealed – it would also be illegal.Lady Augusta Murray had known Prince Augustus Frederick for only three months but they had already fallen deeply in love and were desperate to be married. However, the Royal Marriages Act forbade such a union without the King’s permission and going ahead with the ceremony would change Augusta’s life forever. From a beautiful socialite she became a social pariah; her children were declared illegitimate and her family was scorned.In Forbidden Wife Julia Abel Smith uses material from the Royal Archives and the Dunmore family papers to create a dramatic biography set in the reigns of Kings George III and IV against the background of the American and French Revolutions.Trade ReviewAbel Smith is a wonderful storyteller, her descriptions of late-eighteenth-century Virginia, Rome and London are almost novel-like in colour and detail. Meticulously researched and elegantly told, it’s an excellent biography of a woman forbidden, but – thanks to Abel Smith – not forgotten -- Francesca Carington * TATLER *A fascinating and poignant story, beautifully told, of the tumultuous life of Lady Augusta Murray played out against the epic backdrop of Europe and America in the age of revolution. A wonderful read -- Anna Keay, author of THE LAST ROYAL REBELThis is a terrific story - well told -- John Martin Robinson, author of BUCKINGHAM PALACE: THE OFFICIAL ILLUSTRATED HISTORY

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Book SynopsisIn 1739, the London Foundling Hospital opened its doors to take in the abandoned children of the city. It was the culmination of seventeen years of campaigning by Captain Thomas Coram, driven by his horror at seeing children die in the streets. He was supported in his endeavours by a royal charter and by William Hogarth and George Frideric Handel. The Hospital would continue as both home and school for over 215 years, raising thousands of children until they could be apprenticed out.London’s Forgotten Children is a fascinating history of the first children’s charity, charting the rise of this incredible institution and examining the attitude towards illegitimate children over the years. The story comes alive with the voices of children who grew up in the Hospital, and the concluding, fully updated, account of today’s children’s charity Coram is an ongoing testament to the vision of its founder.

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Book SynopsisJoseph Stalin was one of the most ruthless and authoritarian dictators in world history, who plunged Russia into a barbarous nightmare, leaving behind a damaged nation and a legacy of grief.This concise biography presents Lenin’s heir from his humble and troubled beginnings to the highest rank of all: General Secretary of the Communist Party. Stalin: A Pocket Biography is an accessible account of a complex tyrant, perfect for students or anyone taking a first look into modern Russian history.

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Book SynopsisBright, attractive and well-connected, in any other family the Churchill sisters – Diana, Sarah, Marigold and Mary – would have shone. But they were not in any other family, they were Churchills and neither they nor anyone else could ever forget it. From their father – ‘the greatest Englishman’ – to their brother, golden boy Randolph, to their eccentric and exciting cousins, the Mitford Girls, they were surrounded by a clan of larger-than-life characters which often saw them overlooked. Marigold died when she was very young but her three sisters lived lives full of passion, drama and tragedy …Diana, intense and diffident; Sarah, glamorous and stubborn; Mary, dependable yet determined – each so different but each imbued with a sense of responsibility toward each other and their country. Far from being cosseted debutantes, these women were eyewitnesses at some of the most important events in world history, including at the Second World War Conferences of Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam. Yet The Churchill Girls is not a story set on the battlefields or in Parliament; it is an intimate saga that sheds light on the complex dynamics of family set against the backdrop of the tumultuous twentieth century.Accomplished biographer Rachel Trethewey draws on unpublished family letters from the Churchill archives to bring Winston and Clementine’s daughters out of the shadows and tell their remarkable stories for the first time.

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Book SynopsisThe musical child of Russia’s golden age, Sergei Rachmaninoff, was the last of the great Romantics. Scorned by the musical establishment until very recently, his music received hostile reviews from critics and other composers. Conversely, it never failed to find widespread popular acclaim, and today he is one of the most popular composers of all time.Biographer Michael Scott investigates Rachmaninoff’s intense and often melodramatic life, following him from imperial Russia to his years of exile as a wandering virtuoso and his death in Beverly Hills during the Second World War, worn out by his punishing schedule.In this remarkable biography which relates the man to his music, Michael Scott tells the colourful story of a life that spanned two centuries and two continents. His original research from the Russian archives, so long closed to writers from the West, brings us closer to the spirit of a man who genuinely believed that music could be both good and popular, a belief that is now triumphantly vindicated.

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Book SynopsisTHE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY OF THE MAN WHO BROKE THE BANK AT MONTE CARLO.'Brilliant – a terrific read' - Michael Aspel OBE'The best book I’ve read all year' - Nigel Jones, editor, Devonshire MagazineCharles Deville Wells broke the bank at Monte Carlo – not once but ten times – winning the equivalent of millions in today’s money. He followed up with a colossal bank fraud in Paris, and became Europe’s most wanted criminal, hunted by British and French police and known in the press as ‘Monte Carlo Wells – the man with 36 aliases’.Is he phenomenally lucky? Has he really invented an ‘infallible’ gambling system, as he claims? Or is he just an exceptionally clever fraudster?

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Book SynopsisIn the early hours of Thursday, 8 August 1963, sixteen masked men ambushed the Glasgow–Euston mail train at Sears Crossing in Buckinghamshire.Making off with a record haul of £2.6 million, the robbers received approximately £150,000 each (over £2 million in today’s money). While twelve of the robbers were jailed over the next five years, four were never brought to justice – they evaded arrest and thirty-year prison sentences, and lived out the rest of their lives in freedom. In stark contrast to the likes of Ronnie Biggs, Buster Edwards and Bruce Reynolds, they became neither household names nor tabloid celebrities.Who were these men? How did they escape detection for so long? And how, almost sixty years later, are their names still not common knowledge? In No Case to Answer, Andrew Cook gathers and examines decades of evidence and lays it out end to end. It’s time for you to draw your own conclusions.

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Book SynopsisOf every 100 operational airmen in the Second World War, nearly seven were killed flying in England and more than three severely injured in crashes. With a total of 12,398, the number of non-operational casualties was significant. Operational casualties were of course chillingly grim – over 56,000 airmen died in the war.George Culling was a 19-year-old Lancaster navigator whose own experiences often involved battling tricky and dangerous conditions. Fascinated by the ever-present dangers for airmen even well away from combat, he has collated tales from comrades and combined them with his own to preserve some of the unexpected, inconvenient, dangerous, and often downright bizarre experiences that frequently typified daily life for airmen in the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisThe life of Bavarian Hans Frank, one of the ten war criminals hanged at Nuremburg in 1946, has not received the full attention the world has given to other Nazi leaders. In many ways, he warrants it more. His life symbolised Germany’s hubristic and visionary ambition to an alarming degree, much better than anyone else’s, perhaps because he was an intellectual of the highest calibre.An early supporter of the Nazi Party, Frank ultimately became Hitler’s personal lawyer and later served as Governor General of Poland during the Second World War. He was a fervent advocate of Nazi racist ideology and became the primary – if not the archetypal – symbol of evil, establishing a reign of terror against Polish civilians and becoming directly involved in the mass murder of Jews. The Butcher of Poland is a harrowing account of Hans Frank, the man who formalised the Nazi race laws.

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Book SynopsisWhen he died suddenly in 1967, Isaac Deutscher had completed only the compelling first chapter of a long-anticipated biography of Lenin, published here. It covers Lenin's family background, birth and early years in the backwater town of Simbirsk up to the execution of his brother, a traumatic formative event. Drawing on a lifetime of background research, including access to the closed section of Trotsky's archives, Lenin's Childhood gives a novel interpretation of the earliest influences on Lenin's personality and thinking. Most of all, it is a glimpse into an unfinished work which would have striven to save Lenin from fanatical anti-revolutionary condemnation and, perhaps more important, from uncritical communist beatification.This anniversary edition includes an introduction by Deutscher's biographer, Gonzalo Pozo, which situates the Lenin project within Deutscher's oeuvre and discusses the sources, influences and evolution of his never completed life of Lenin.Table of ContentsIntroduction to the Anniversary Edition - Gonzalo PozoIntroduction - Tamara DeutscherLenin's Childhood

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Book SynopsisBrought to you by Penguin.Aiden Aslin joined the Ukrainian marines in 2018, compelled to defend his adopted homeland from the growing threat of Russian invasion. In February 2022, as Russia mounted a full-scale offensive, Aiden and his unit were stationed at the frontline at Mariupol.Pinned down at a Mariupol steelworks, after a month-long siege and running out of supplies, Aiden was part of the mass surrender of over a thousand Ukrainian troops, in April 2022. Then his real ordeal began.Singled out for his British passport, Aiden was interrogated, tortured, stabbed, turned into a propaganda zombie, tried by a kangaroo court and then sentenced to death. A victim of a catalogue of abuses of international law, Aiden struggled to cling on to any hope of survival. Certain that he was going to be executed, he was eventually freed in a prisoner exchange and permitted to return home.In Putin's Prisoner, Aiden will tell the full, harrowing story of his time fighting in Putin's war, of his six months in Russian captivity, and of his hardened resolve to defend the freedoms of the people of Ukraine.©2023 Aiden Aslin & John Sweeney (P)2023 Penguin AudioTrade ReviewA great read. An amazing story. * Jeremy Vine *Engaging and horrifying in equal measure. A powerful story and insight into modern war. * Soldier *Horrifying, heart-rending, inspiring. Five stars. * Army Rumour Service *Both a warning and a message of hope. Aslin survived to tell his story - and we should listen. * Irish Independent *An absolutely incredible book. * Rig Biz Podcast *

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Book SynopsisShinzo Abe entered politics burdened by high expectations: that he would change Japan. In 2007, seemingly overwhelmed, he resigned after only a year as prime minister. Yet, following five years of reinvention, he masterfully regained the premiership in 2012 and, until his resignation in 2020, dominated Japanese democracy as no leader had done before. Abe inspired fierce loyalty among his followers, cowing Japan’s left with his ambitious economic programme and support for the security and armed forces. He staked a leadership role for Japan in a region being rapidly transformed by the rise of China and India, while carefully preserving an ironclad relationship with Trump’s America. The Iconoclast tells the story of Abe’s meteoric rise and stunning fall, his remarkable comeback, and his unlikely emergence as a global statesman who laid the groundwork for Japan’s survival in a turbulent century.Trade Review‘Comprehensive and engaging.’ -- The Economist‘In exhaustive detail, [Harris] describes a career of setbacks, half-successes and frustrated ambitions.’ -- The Times‘The Iconoclast is a definitive, must-read biography of Abe, and will be the standard English-language work on his life and times for years to come.’ -- The Japan Times‘Journalists, scholars – anyone interested in the political evolution of the leading democracy of East Asia – will need to add The Iconoclast to the reading pile.’ -- Asia Times'Offer[s] in non-specialized language accessible to a general reader detailed coverage of Abe’s family ties to politics, entry into politics, rise to the premiership, and style and substance of governing.' -- Pacific Affairs‘Reflecting on the past and speculating the future, the book contains rich insight about Japan under Abe’s government as well as in the coming post-Abe era, which will help us envision Japan’s future.’ -- Nikkei Asian Review‘For more than a decade, Shinzo Abe has been the doorknob of international politics – largely unnoticed but functionally crucial. Throughout a period of tumult, both international and domestic, he has remained a grimly determined steady hand, a conservative force in a world of radical uncertainty. In translucent prose, Tobias Harris is a subtle commentator on Japan and a remarkably sure-footed guide to the inner workings of its longest-serving prime minister in history.' -- David Pilling, Financial Times, author of Bending Adversity: Japan and the Art of Survival‘Harris has very skilfully told one of the great political comeback stories of our era – the fall and rise of not just Abe Shinzo, but Japan itself. With colourful anecdotes and insightful analysis, the author shows us how Abe, a political blue-blood, pulled off the most remarkable second act in modern Japanese history by being an iconoclast. Harris tells how Abe challenged taboos and broke the mould to help Japan reclaim its confidence, and its rightful place in the world.’ -- Martin Fackler, former Tokyo bureau chief, New York Times'A superb biography of Abe Shinzo, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, as well as a remarkably detailed political history of Japan, from Abe’s grandfather Prime Minister Kishi Nobusuke (1957-60) to Prime Minister Abe. Thoroughly researched, lucidly written. A great achievement.’ -- Ezra Vogel, Henry Ford II Professor of the Social Sciences Emeritus, Harvard University‘The Iconoclast is a well written and comprehensive chronicle of the politics and policies of Japan’s longest serving prime minister.’ -- Gerald L. Curtis, Burgess Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Columbia University

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Book SynopsisIn 1912, Rash Behari Bose made his dramatic entrance into India's anti-colonial freedom movement when he orchestrated a bomb attack against the British Viceroy during a public procession in Delhi. Forced to flee his homeland, Bose settled in Japan, becoming the most influential Indian in Tokyo and earning the affectionate title 'Sensei' among Japanese youth, military personnel and far-right ultranationalists. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Bose remained a perpetual thorn in the side of the British Empire as he built and maintained a global network of anti-colonialists, radicals, smugglers and intellectuals. After siding with Imperial Japan against his British adversaries during the Second World War, Bose died in 1945--just two years before India gained its independence. A complex, controversial and often contradictory figure, Bose has been described as a committed democrat, an authoritarian, an advocate of religious harmony, a Hindu chauvinist, an anti-Communist, a political pragmatist, an idealist, a Japanese collaborator, an anti-racist, a cultural conservative, a Pan-Asianist, an Indian nationalist, and much more besides. Drawing on extensive archival research in India, Japan and the UK, this refreshing new biography brings to life the largely forgotten story of one of twentieth-century Asia's most daring revolutionaries.Trade Review'Relocates Rash Behari Bose’s place in modern Indian history.' -- The Times of India'An intriguing account of a forgotten but significant figure in the annals of anticolonialism.' -- Priyamvada Gopal, author of 'Insurgent Empire''Rash Behari Bose is a key figure among Indian "expatriate patriots", and, like many of his contemporaries, defies easy political categorisation. Well-written, fast-paced, and filled with remarkable events, "Fugitive of Empire" is a compelling story.' -- Carolien Stolte, Assistant Professor, University of Leiden, and author of 'The League Against Imperialism''McQuade's meticulously researched biography of Rash Behari Bose reveals the multifaceted nature of anti-colonialism in the first half of the twentieth century. An original and captivating read, connecting waves of revolutionary movements, it fills a major gap in global historiography.' -- Ole Birk Laursen, Researcher, Lund University, and author of 'Anarchy or Chaos: M. P. T. Acharya and the Indian Struggle for Freedom''McQuade's evocative account of Rash Behari Bose reads like a novel, taking us through some of the most dramatic moments of India's struggle for independence and revealing the global dimensions of anti-colonialism during the first half of the twentieth century.' -- Kim A. Wagner, Professor of Global and Imperial History, Queen Mary, University of London, and author of 'The Skull of Alum Bheg' and 'Amritsar 1919'

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Book Synopsis'Puts Cavendish back into the literary history books where she belongs' Kate Mosse 'Scholarly, articulate, and never less than fascinating' Alice Loxton A biography of the remarkable, and in her time scandalous, seventeenth-century writer Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle. ‘My ambition is not only to be Empress, but Authoress of a whole world.’ Margaret Cavendish, then Lucas, was born in 1623 to a wealthy family. In 1644, as England descended into civil war, she joined the court of the formidable Queen Henrietta Maria at Oxford, before following the court into exile in France. It was there that she met her much older lifelong partner, William Cavendish, Marquess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Cavendish was a revolutionary writer. At a time when literature was dominated by men, she wrote passionately on gender, science and philosophy, defied convention by publishing under her own name, and advocated for women in work that predates the feminist movement. In 1666, she published The Blazing World, a brilliant, trail-blazing proto-novel thought to be one of the earliest works of science fiction. But her legacy divides opinion. And history has largely forgotten her. In Pure Wit, Francesca Peacock shines a spotlight on the fascinating, pioneering, yet often complex and controversial life of Margaret Cavendish.Trade ReviewIt’s a gripping read, wonderfully researched and puts Cavendish back into the literary history books where she belongs. I loved it. * Kate Mosse *Fascinating * William Boyd *Well-written, well-researched, interesting and peppy. * The Observer *5 STARS... Margaret Cavendish was a woman out of time. This blazing biography does her proud * The Telegraph *[An] erudite and entertaining book * The Spectator *Scholarly, articulate, and never less than fascinating, this is a sensational debut. * Alice Loxton *[A] sparky celebration of a remarkable woman * Financial Times *Pure Wit is thorough and scholarly * Literary Review *A stellar debut. Francesca Peacock is as bold, bright and witty as her subject. Margaret Cavendish sears through every page and so does her blazing world. * Jessie Childs *This is historical biography as it should be written: intelligent and nuanced, witty and thoroughly riveting. * Lucasta Miller *A fascinating book on a fascinating woman, who was not the “crazy duchess” of hostile legend, but a daring feminist pioneer. * Penelope Corfield *Francesca Peacock adroitly recounts Cavendish’s ordeals as a monarchist under Cromwell, her years in exile in Paris, her supportive marriage, her ennoblement and fame. * New Statesman *[Peacock's] enjoyable book is enriched by accounts of other women who lived remarkably in those remarkable times. * The Times *Perceptive and nuanced. A blazing account of a blazing woman. * Holly Kyte *

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Book SynopsisLate 1930s. When World War II was declared, Mavis Batey, previously studying German Romanticism, abandoned her studies to do her duty for her country. At Bletchley Park, Britain’s best kept secret, she became one of the first women codebreakers, a pioneer and a star, breaking codes vital to bringing peace. Mavis Batey, a unique biography, delves into the life of one of Britain’s best female codebreakers, taking the reader through the war and to the arrival of peace, when Mavis turned her attention from breaking codes to the conservation and preservation of gardens. Mavis became an important figure in conservation, becoming President of the Garden History Society, which, under her watch, became an academic society and campaigning force for the protection of landscapes, parks, and gardens of historic interest. She also lobbied Parliament, fighting threats of encroachment and misuse of land. Acts of Parliament were passed, English Heritage was established, and grants were introduced. Historic gardens became officially recognised as essential components of European culture and her National Register of Historic Gardens came to fruition. Mavis’s passion was writing and she wrote many books. Mavis was finally awarded the RHS Veitch Memorial Medal and the MBE for Services to the preservation and conservation of historic landscapes. Mavis never did retire: her final project was to inspire an American Garden Trail for Bletchley Park which she signed off just a few months before her death in November 2013.

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Book SynopsisThe compelling biography of the beautiful, talented Garman sisters and the glittering, romantic era in which they lived. Each of the seven Garman sisters were strikingly beautiful, artistic and wild. Born around the turn of the nineteenth century, most of the siblings were to become involved in the radical literary and political circles of British life between the First and Second World Wars. Their morals were unconventional: bisexuality, unfaithfulness and illegitimate children were a matter of course. Nevertheless they were high-minded and intensely loyal. They were the last muses: women who were prepared to sideline their own talent, friendships, material comforts – even their own children – in order to beguile and inspire the men they loved. Cressida Connolly's family biography delves into the lives of three of the sisters in intense and revealing detail. Kathleen Garman, the father's favourite, ran away to London to study music. She was spotted by the American sculptor Jacob Epstein, who promptly fell in love with her, and remained his muse until his death. They had three children, she was shot in the shoulder by his first wife and she finally became Lady Epstein in 1955. Mary Garman came to London with Kathleen and studied art at the Slade. She married poet Roy Campbell, who was to become the scourge of the literary establishment by espousing General Franco's side during the Spanish Civil War. Finally there was Lorna Garman, the youngest and most beautiful of all the family. At sixteen she married the wealthy Ernest Wishart, a landowner, communist and founder of the socialist publishing house Laurence & Wishart, who spent most of his life turning a blind eye to his wife's infidelities. Lorna was the love of Laurie Lee's life and they had a daughter. Lucian Freud painted several pictures for her. Through Cressida Connolly’s skilfull retelling of these remarkable lives, we get an intimate portrait of a golden age of romance, passion and art that is an original, beguiling read.Trade Review'Paints some wonderfully vivid pictures of how difficult the Garmans must have been to live with.' Sunday Telegraph 'Connolly writes with great elegance and perception about this ruthlessly sensual family.' Literary Review ‘A rollicking mix of the familiar and surprising.' Sunday Times ‘A sobering coda and an often hilarious tale.' Independent

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Book SynopsisLike its three predecessors, this fourth instalment of Trinity Tales gathers together recollections of a decade at Trinity College Dublin. This time, the story is taken up by 1990s graduates– those who passed through its gates as the twentieth century drew to a close–and, through the forty individual voices assembled here, a vivid portrait emerges of student life during those transformative years. Trinity students at the decade’s end had email, mobile phones and the vast resources of the Internet at their disposal. In addition, they were relatively debt-free (undergraduate tuition fees having been abolished in 1996) and every bit as likely to stay and find work in Ireland as to get on the first flight to London or New York. Reflecting this sense of rapid growth, new buildings started springing up around campus, most notably the Samuel Beckett Centre and Goldsmith Hall, and as the millennium approached, the college was expanding in all directions. Contributors encompass the worlds of science, the arts and everything in between, and include actors Dominic West and Mario Rosenstock, writers and journalists Turtle Bunbury, Claire Kilroy and Belinda McKeon, eminent scientists such as Austin Duffy, and sportsman Mark Pollock. Those who arrived at Trinity in the nineties are the generation that came of age in an Ireland caught between the grim, recession-ridden 1980s and the brash, moneyed millenials, an almost unfathomable transition eclipsed only by that between the analogue and digital eras. As with previous volumes, royalties from the book go to the Long Room Library fund.

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Book SynopsisMichelangelo Buonarrotti (1475-1564) is perhaps the greatest artist in the entire Western tradition. In painting, sculpture and architecture he created works that went beyond anything imagined before. The David - miraculously created, as Vasari describes, out of a piece of marble botched by another sculptor - the Sistine Ceiling, the Sistine Last Judgement, before which the Pope knelt in terrified prayer when it was first unveiled: these works have lost none of their awe-inspiring power. Michelangelo's impact was immediate, and he achieved a level of fame and influence that was unprecedented. It is not surprising, therefore, that the painter Giorgio Vasari should have made him the culmination of his Lives of the Painters, Sculptors and Architects, the first true work of art history. Vasari was a close colleague as well as a fellow artist and fellow Florentine. The biography printed here, from Vasari's much improved second edition, draws a picture of Michelangelo the man and the artist that has an immediacy and an authority that have not been surpassed. The introduction by David Hemsoll situates this great work in the context of 16th century Italian art.Trade Review"The London publishing house Pallas Athene has come up with the very welcome and worthwhile project of assembling English translations of early biographies of artists in an easily accessible publication." - Historians of Netherlands Art Reviews

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Book SynopsisThe 'Greatest Black Briton in History' triumphed over the Crimea and Victorian England. "The Times" called her a heroine, Florence Nightingale called her a brothel-keeping quack, and Queen Victoria's nephew called her, simply, 'Mammy' - Mary Seacole was one of the most eccentric and charismatic women of her era. Born at her mother's hotel in Jamaica in 1805, she became an independent 'doctress' combining the herbal remedies of her African ancestry with sound surgical techniques. On the outbreak of the Crimean War, she arrived in London desperate to join Florence Nightingale at the Front, but the authorities refused to see her. Being black, nearly 50, rather stout, and gloriously loud in every way, she was obviously unsuitable. Undaunted, Mary travelled to Balaklava under her own steam to build the 'British Hotel', just behind the lines. It was an outrageous venture, and a huge success - she became known and loved by everyone from the rank and file to the royal family. For more than a century after her death this remarkable woman was all but forgotten. This, the first full-length biography of a Victorian celebrity recently voted the greatest black Briton in history, brings Mary Seacole centre stage at last.Trade ReviewThroughout history there have been women who deserve to be remembered for what they themselves achieved... Robinson gives them life once more. * Guardian *Utterly absorbing... every page jammed with catchy vignettes. * Observer *Useful and highly enjoyable. * Times Literary Supplement *A fine piece of work. * Daily Telegraph *Robinson's book is the first I have read that has opened my eyes to the true horrors of the Mutiny. * Daily Mail *

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