Biography: historical, political and military Books

Book SynopsisCounty Armagh, the Orchard County, abounds in folk tales, myths and legends and a selection of the best, drawn from historical sources and newly recorded local reminiscences, have been brought to life here by local storyteller Frances Quinn. Armagh is the place where, legend has it, the warrior king Conor Mac Nessa once ruled and where Deirdre of the Sorrows met her lover Naoise. It is where St Mochua’s Well was said by some to curse as well as cure and where evidence of St Patrick’s disagreement with a bull can still be seen. And it is where Mrs Lester was rudely awakened in her grave. It is also said to be the home of a plethora of strange and magical creatures and stories abound of encounters with fairies, ghosts, dragons, witches and even a giant pig. From age-old legends and fantastical myths to amusing anecdotes and cautionary tales, this collection is a heady mix of bloodthirsty, funny, passionate and moving stories. It will take you into a remarkable world where you can let your imagination run wild.

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Book SynopsisLancelot Brown changed the face of eighteenth-century England, designing country estates and mansions, moving hills and making flowing lakes and serpentine rivers, a magical world of green. This English landscape style spread across Europe and the world. At home, it proved so pleasing that Brown's influence spread into the lowland landscape at large, and into landscape painting. He stands behind our vision, and fantasy, of rural England. In this vivid, lively biography, based on detailed research, Jane Brown paints an unforgettable picture of the man, his work, his happy domestic life, and his crowded world. She follows the life of the jovial yet elusive Mr Brown, from his childhood and apprenticeship in rural Northumberland, through his formative years at Stowe, the most famous garden of the day. His innovative ideas, and his affable and generous nature, led to a meteoric rise to a Royal Appointment in 1764 and his clients and friends ranged from statesmen like the elder Pitt to artists and actors like David Garrick. Riding constantly across England, Brown never ceased working until he collapsed and died in February 1783 after visiting one of his oldest clients. He was a practical man but also a visionary, always willing to try something new. As this beautifully illustrated biography shows, Brown filled England with enchantment - follies, cascades, lakes, bridges, ornaments, monuments, meadows and woods - creating views that still delight us today.Trade ReviewBrown's book is a good read -- Jane Owen * Financial Times *Jane Brown has dug deep into the archives and has written an exhaustive and beautifully illustrated biography that has been long overdue... Those who love his gardens...will be delighted with this book -- Andrea Wulf * Mail on Sunday *Robust and revealing * Independent *Her book should find a home in any garden-lovers' glove compartment , offering a detailed map of Lancelot's England * Spectator *Sympathetic, beautifully illustrated study -- Maggie Fergusson * Intelligent Life *

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Book SynopsisA 'recovery' project drawing on unpublished letters and diaries, this is the first biography of Victorian Britain's famous war artist, Elizabeth Thompson Butler. She transformed war art by depicting conflict trauma, decades before its designation as a medical condition. Married to an officer in the British army, she traveled with her husband's military postings. Her art is prescient in its concern about the implications of foreign military intervention and champions the ordinary soldier and the dispossessed. Lady Butler is a story of travel and history, of war and conflict, of Italy of the Risorgimento, of the London art world where she achieved celebrity and negotiated the difficulties of being a female artist in a male-dominated domain, and of imperial travel. Her biography reveals a figure whose perspective on war is modern, whose confidence in achieving success in the masculine field of battle art taps into contemporary debates, and whose work provokes a rethinking of the post-imperial world.

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Shortlisted for the HW Fisher Best First Biography Prize 2012 "The only Western woman to enlist as a soldier in the First World War, the Englishwoman Flora Sandes became a heroine and a media sensation when she fought for the Serbian Army and pursued a distinguished career in its ranks. This account charts her incredible story: her tomboyish childhood in genteel Victorian England, her mission to Serbia as a Red Cross volunteer and subsequent military enrolment, her celebrity lecture tours, her marriage to a fellow officer, her survival in a Gestapo prison during the Second World War and her final years in Suffolk. A fascinating character of her times and an inspiration to women the world over, Flora Sandes is brought to life and restored to her rightful place in history by this biography, compiled with the help of her family, and using hitherto unpublished private papers and photographs."

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Book SynopsisA fascinating examination of the life of Thomas Clarke, a member of the Fenians and was a key leader of the Irish Republican Brotherhood in 1916.

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Book SynopsisFrom a staunchly Republican family, Michael O’Hanrahan’s outwardly quiet and serious demeanour concealed a burning desire to see an independent Ireland. He was instrumental in setting up the first branch of the Gaelic League in Carlow. Michael also helped found the workingman’s club in Carlow, which he left when they decided to admit a British soldier. After moving to Dublin, he played important roles in both Sinn Fein and the Irish Volunteers. As quartermaster of the Volunteers, he was responsible for the procurement of many of the arms used in the Easter Rising. Michael O’Hanrahan was also a talented journalist and novelist whose development was cut short by his execution in 1916. In this new biography Conor Kostick brings to life a man who helped launch the 1916 Rising.

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Book SynopsisBobby Sands was a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army who died on hunger strike while imprisoned at HM Prison Maze. He was the leader of the 1981 hunger strike in which Irish republican prisoners protested against the removal of Special Category Status. During his strike he was elected to the British Parliament as an Anti H-Block candidate. His death was followed by a new surge of Provisional IRA recruitment and activity. International media coverage brought attention to the hunger strikers, and the republican movement in general, attracting both praise and criticism. This graphic novel brings Bobby Sands’ story to life in a whole new way. Trade Reviewa thoroughly engrossing read … I’ve said it before when it comes to their line of Irish historical graphic novels but The O’Brien Press play an important part in keeping our history alive in the minds of people who are even more having their attention being called on by ever more shallow forms of so called entertainment. That is why I welcome this book and hopefully more like it as the quality and subject matter of the line of books is of such high quality, they are deserving of our time, attention and money. The book also boasts an afterword by Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams who comments on the legacy of Bobby Sands and the sacrifice for the greater good of Sands and his fellow hunger strikers. This powerful account of a very recent chapter in Irish history is a page turner -- irishcomicsnews.comArchitect-turned-Cartoonist Hunt surveys Sands’ life as an activist ... Buildings, streets, and furnishings are drawn with architect’s assurance. Figures are blocky and simplified, reminiscent of historic radical political cartooning -- Booklist

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Book Synopsis"Rising from humble beginnings as a foundling, Castruccio Castracani came to prominence as one of the most powerful and shrewd warlords in Italy. Indeed, Machiavelli argues, so great was his vigour and charisma that - had he not been prevented by his untimely death - he might have surpassed in fame the great generals of antiquity and brought all the territories of Italy under his sole dominion. Written in Machiavelli's characteristically lucid and terse style, Life of Castruccio Castracani is not only a key text in understanding the development of the author's ideas on leadership and good statesmanship that would find fuller expression in The Prince, but also a revealing account of the political ferment and fractious factionalism of fourteenth-century Italy. This edition is accompanied by selected passages from Machiavelli's Florentine Histories and a detailed map with historical notes."Trade ReviewCastruccio Castracani is a short book that tells a larger story… it will show that greatness, as Machiavelli defined it five centuries ago, is made, not born. -- Richard OveryMachiavelli was a pioneer of political science. He was a republican and a patriot. His prose style was as clear as Julius Caesar’s. He was a literary genius. * The Times *Machiavelli is a pivotal figure in the history of political thought. His views of human nature, society and government mark a break with medieval philosophy and sixteenth-century political thought based on assumptions about God’s purposes for man. * New Statesman *We are much beholden to Machiavelli and others, that write what men do, and not what they ought to do. * Francis Bacon *

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'I am just going outside and may be some time.' With these words, on 17 March 1912, Captain Oates walked out to his death in an Antarctic blizzard and won a place for himself in history as 'a very gallant gentleman'. His reputation for courage and endurance as one of the members of Scott's doomed expedition to the South Pole is as powerful today as it was almost a century ago. Yet, as Sue Limb and Patrick Cordingley reveal in this new edition of their classic biography of the man, there is much more to Captain Oates's life than his final famous act of self-sacrifice. Their work is, as Sir Ranulph Fiennes noted, a 'fascinating character study of a quintessential British hero'.

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Book Synopsis150 Station Road, Wheeldon Mill - a short stride across the Chesterfield Canal in the heart of Derbyshire - was home to the Nash family and their corner shop, serving a small mining community with everything from Brasso to Dolly Blue, from cheap dress rings to Lemon Sherbets.However, this was no ordinary home and no ordinary family. Three generations were adopted - Lynn Knight's great grandfather, a fairground boy given away when his parents left for America in 1865, her great aunt, rescued from an Industrial School in 1909, and her mother, adopted in London as a baby and brought north in 1930. Their story spans centuries and the changing society of twentieth century Britain. But more than that it is a story of community and of love. Full of colour, light and life, Lemon Sherbet & Dolly Blue is a story of what it really means to be family.Trade ReviewA book to recommend with all one's heart... It's a book you want to hug at each turn of fortune... Knight tells her tale scintillatingly. * The Times *A warm, human and well-written book, a slice of social history which throws a strong light on personal experiences. * Hilary Mantel *A treasure trove... Lynn Knight's vivid evocation of people who started with nothing, but lived lives rich in generosity and love makes a fascinating and thought-provoking story * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisIan Buruma's maternal grandparents, Bernard and Winifred (Bun & Win), wrote to each other regularly throughout their life together. The first letters were written in 1915, when Bun was still at school at Uppingham and Win was taking music lessons in Hampstead. They were married for more than sixty years, but the heart of their remarkable story lies within the span of the two world wars.After a brief separation, when Bernard served as a stretcher bearer on the Western Front during the Great War, the couple exchanged letters whenever they were apart. Most of them were written during the Second World War and their correspondence is filled with vivid accounts of wartime activity at home and abroad. Bernard was stationed in India as an army doctor, while Win struggled through wartime privation and the Blitz to hold her family together, including their eldest son, the later film director John Schlesinger (Midnight Cowboy, Sunday Bloody Sunday), and twelve Jewish children they had arranged to be rescued from Nazi Germany.Their letters are a priceless record of an assimilated Jewish family living in England throughout the upheavals of the twentieth century and a moving portrait of a loving couple separated by war. By using their own words, Ian Buruma has created a spellbinding homage to the sustaining power of a family's love and devotion through very dark daysTrade ReviewA fascinating story... The complexities of class, race and nationhood are subtly teased out -- Blake Morrison * Guardian *A gentle and intimate study of identity and love... It is to Buruma's credit that so much has been laid bare... This is rich material that still resonates today. On matters of identity, on the public and private, the more things change, the more they stay the same. -- Philippe Sands * Financial Times *This artful volume reveals a good deal about the world we live in today... Exceptional * Spectator *Their Promised Land is a carefully and admirably written, highly readable work of social history told charmingly in a most intimate way through a close perusal of family correspondence. Buruma writes of British-born Jews of the upper-middle class with a great, sympathetic perspicacity and sweetness - these are after all his grandparents who are his subject - and, most revealingly, he traces with precision the effect on their lives of being Jews of German origin in their beloved England during the two world wars. * Philip Roth *In this warmly affectionate, richly textured family chronicle, Ian Buruma draws on his own memories and a treasure trove of intimate letters, to uncover a moving love story, and paint a vivid picture of a seemingly idyllic world darkened by unexpected shadows... A fascinating, subtle, wonderfully readable book. * Eva Hoffman *From these letters, Ian Buruma has woven an utterly engrossing story of cultivated, upper class German Jews who grew up in England and made its values their own... At once family memoir and history, this is a book to linger over and savour. * Lisa Appignanesi *A distinguished historian, Mr Buruma approaches his subject with the loving eye of a grandchild and an awareness of the larger forces that shaped their lives. His sensitive portrayal of the immigrant's divided loyalties and divided identity is timely in light of Europe's current struggle with colliding national, religious and ethnic identities. * The Economist *In Their Promised Land, Ian Buruma offers a searching, tender memorial of his grandparents' marriage that is, at the same time, a clarifying study in the complicated pleasures and discontents of multiple identity. * Adam Thirlwell *Ian Buruma, the critic, is justly famous for his ferocious acuity. Ian Buruma, the grandson, brings that same clarity of observation to this exceptional memoir, but he also writes with an elegiac tenderness that may surprise - and will deeply move - both his fans, and those readers who have yet to discover his magisterial gifts. * Judith Thurman *Buruma impressively captures his grandparents' remarkable lives in this insightful narrative. The author shapes his family's labor of a lifetime into a scintillating work of art. * Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review) *Ian Buruma's moving love letter to his grandparents' memory is evocative and absorbing... The memory these good people left behind is lovingly recorded in this volume. It left me tearful with nostalgia for the world of the Schlesingers and my grandparents -- Julia Neuberger * Jewish Chronicle *

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`It was the most providential escape yet. It will probably have the effect of making them think that I am even more mysterious than they believe me to be, and that is saying a good deal.’ Michael Collins knew the power of his persona, and capitalised on what people wanted to believe. The image we have of him comes filtered through a sensational lens, exaggerated out of all proportion. We see what we have come to expect: `the man who won the war’, the centre of a web of intelligence that `brought the British Empire to its knees’. He comes to us as a mixture of truth and lies, propaganda and misunderstanding. The willingness to see him as the sum of the Irish revolution, and in turn reduce him to a caricature of his many parts, clouds our view of both the man and the revolution. Drawing on archives in Ireland, Britain and the United States, the authors question our traditional assumptions about Collins. Was he the man of his age, or was he just luckier, more brazen, more written about and more photographed than the rest? Despite the pictures of him in uniform during the last weeks of his life, Collins saw very little of the actual fight. He was chiefly an organiser and a strategist. Should we remember him as a master of the mundane rather than the romantic figure of the blockbuster film? The eight thematic, highly illustrated chapters scrutinise different aspects of Collins’ life: origins, work, war, politics, celebrity, beliefs, death and afterlives. Approaching him through the eyes of contemporaries and historians, friends and enemies, this provocative book reveals new insights, challenging what we think we know about him and, in turn, what we think we know about the Irish revolution.

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Book SynopsisArctic explorer, survival expert and naturalist Freddy Spencer Chapman was trapped behind enemy lines when the Japanese overran Malaya in 1942. His response was to begin a commando campaign of such lethal effectiveness that the Japanese deployed an entire regiment to hunt him down, believing that a 200-strong guerrilla army was responsible for the wholesale destruction of their convoys. He was wounded, and racked by tropical disease. His companions were killed, or captured and then beheaded. Cut off from friendly forces, his only shelter the deep jungle, Chapman held out for three years and five months. Jungle Soldier recounts the thrilling and unforgettable adventures of the North country orphan who survived against all odds to become a legend of guerrilla warfare.Trade Review'Incredible ... the death-defying adventures of a great British war hero' Chris Ryan. * Chris Ryan *'This story of endurance in the fetid heat of the Malayan jungle is surely one of the most inspiring of the whole war ... A courageous and utterly English hero' Daily Mail. * Daily Mail *'Freddy Spencer Chapman is the greatest war hero you have probably never heard of ... Perhaps this book will help win final recognition for a truly extraordinary man' Sunday Times. * Sunday Times *'An extraordinary life ... Quite why Chapman hasn't found Lawrence of Arabia's fame is anyone's guess' Guardian. * Guardian *Table of ContentsList of Maps. Prologue: Behind Enemy Lines. A Very English Boyhood. Journeys on the Ice Cap. Goodbye to a Golden Boy. Scrambles in Sikkim. The Mission. To War. Across the Main Range. The Mad Fortnight. Disasters and Decapitations. Birds and Bullets. 'Japun! Japun!' The Betrayer. Journey to Shangri-La. A World Turned Upside Down. The Search for Noone. Taken by the Japanese. On the Run. The Traitor-Killing Camp. Hollow Days. Deliverance. The Lion in Winter. Glossary. Acknowledgement and Bibliography. Index.

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Book SynopsisMartin Luther King left an indelible mark on 20th-century American history through his leadership of the non-violent civil rights campaigns of the 1950s and 1960s. The election of Barack Obama as America's first black president in November 2008 has spawned a renewed interest in King's role as an agent and prophet of political change in the United States. Writing with verve and clarity but also with acute insight, Godfrey Hodgson traces King's life and career from his birth in Atlanta in 1929, through the campaigns that made possible the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, to his assassination in Memphis in 1968. Hodgson sheds light on every aspect of an extraordinary life: the Black Baptist milieu in which King grew up, his theology and political philosophy, his physical and moral courage, his insistence on the injustice of inequality, his campaigning energy, his repeated sexual infidelities. Martin Luther King is a rounded and fascinating portrait of a Christian prophet and the most brilliant orator of his age, the central message of whose life and ministry was that Americans would never be fully free until they accepted that black and white Americans must be equal.Table of ContentsA Dream Deferred. Sweet Auburn. A Higher Education. Sick and Tired. The Little Brown Ghost. Between Two Fires. From Albany to Oxford. In the City of Vulcan. The Tide Turns. Mississippi Burning. The Hinge. Walks on the Wide Side. Vietnam and Beyond. The Last Campaign. Detective Story. A Voice Crying in the Wilderness. Notes. Index.

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Book SynopsisLabour's octogenarian powerhouse weaves together eighty years of fascinating personal, social and political history in her memoirs.From Boots Girl to Baroness, Joyce Gould boasts an impressive list of experiences and accomplishments. Through sixty-four years as a Labour Party member, she has fought for universal equality, for the right to a good standard of life for all, and for the spirit of her beloved party.The Witchfinder General is the political autobiography of the woman who notoriously made Labour electable again - nicknamed the Witchfinder General for her determination to end the debilitating discord of the 1980s by uncovering and removing the Militant Tendency - and as such it is a tender and frank depiction of the party over the past six decades. But more than that, it is a social history as seen through the eyes of someone who lived it, and a personal history of a pharmacist's apprentice turned political warrior, who has dedicated her life to making the world a better place.These memoirs document a long career in the fight for equality, the building of the modern Labour Party and the creation of the Britain we know today.Trade Review"A warm and uplifting read. It is riveting in its description of the routing of Militant and strong in its conclusion that the outcome of this May's local elections will be a 'defining point' for the 'new Labour regime and its record'." - Progress

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Book SynopsisA revealing picture of a time when Britain was losing its empire. It draws on letters written at the period by an airman, his vivid memories and experiences from the Canal Zone, Kenya during Mau Mau times, Cyprus and Jerusalem. His time encompassed conducting church services, being shipwrecked, numerous wildlife encounters and the formation of many lifelong friendships. The Canal Zone was no easy life and 50 years later a medal was awarded when the government was forced to admit it was deserved and to confess its own political chicanery in the events. Hamish paints a picture of the highs and lows of RAF life, a station being run down in Egypt, working in oppressive heat and now and then being shot at! He saw the Windrush a week before it exploded and sank in the Mediterranean; both the Windrush story and that of building the Suez Canal are detailed in an appendix. There is much to find in this story including background histories to events and the politics of the time. As a whole it provides a fascinating account of the era.

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Book Synopsis‘Abd al-Mu’min (c.1094–1163) did not establish the first caliphate in the Islamic West, but his encompassed more territory than any that had preceded it. As leader of the Almohads, a politico-religious movement grounded in an uncompromising belief in the unity of God, he unified for the first time the whole of North Africa west of Egypt, and conquered much of southern Spain. Studying every facet of ‘Abd al-Mu’min’s rule, from his violent repression of opposition to the flourishing of scholarship during his reign, Maribel Fierro reveals an intelligent leader and a skilled military commander who sought to build a lasting caliphate across disparate and diverse societies.Trade Review‘Maribel Fierro, an internationally acclaimed authority on the Almohads, presents an accessible account of the true founder of the Almohad empire, ‘Abd al-Mu’min… Despite their importance, ‘Abd al-Mu’min and the Almohads rarely receive the coverage they deserve in surveys of the Islamic world and Fierro uses her deep erudition to address the balance in a way that will intrigue the novice and encourage the expert to think again.’ -- Amira K. Bennison, Professor in the History and Culture of the Maghrib, University of Cambridge‘‘Abd al-Mu’min is a little known but very important figure in the history of the Almohad caliphate and the twelfth-century Maghrib in general. Maribel Fierro has brilliantly brought him to life. Grounded in her in-depth scholarship and with a clear narrative strand, this biography should be the first port of call for anyone interested in this controversial figure.’ -- Hugh Kennedy, Professor of Arabic, SOAS, University of LondonTable of ContentsForeword 1 ‘Abd al-Mu’min, the Zanata Berber Who Built an Empire and Became Prince of the Believers 2 Looking for Knowledge: The Encounter with Ibn Tumart Travelling East in Hammadid territory: Mallala and Ibn Tumart Travelling West Through Almoravid territory to Igiliz: Mahdism Travelling North: Tinmal and the Purges Ibn Tumart’s Death and ‘Abd al-Mu’min’s Succession History, Legend and Anthropology 3 From the Mountains to Empire: Submission to the Almohad Cause (al-tawhid) Through Jihad Discrediting and Fighting the Almoravids The Long Road to Marrakesh, the Rebellion of al-Massi and the Great Purge The Expansion Eastwards, the Rebellion of Ibn Tumart’s Brothers and the Fight Against Arabs and Normans The Conquest of al-Andalus and ‘Abd al-Mu’min’s Death Jihad, the Army and the Collection of Taxes 4 Balancing Power to Achieve Dynastic Rule: The Almohad Hierarchies Ibn Tumart’s Family and Inner Circle: The Ahl al-Dar and the Council of Ten The Almohad Tribes, the Council of Fifty and the Shaykhs Purging the Almohads (Tamyiz and I‘tiraf) and Facing Rebellion ‘Abd al-Mu’min’s Family and Genealogies The Sayyids, the Talaba, the Huffaz and the Husaba’ 5 Establishing God’s order (al-Amr al-‘Aziz): How to be a Maghribi caliph Mahdism, Caliphate and al-Amr al-‘Aziz The Writings of Ibn Tumart and ‘Abd al-Mu’min Berber and Arabic, Igiliz/Tinmal and Mecca/Medina The Square: Coins, Drums, Books The Caliph, Provider of Happiness and Baraka: Banquets and Itinerancy 6 Giving Shape to the Caliphate: Buildings, Religious Practices, Law and Philosophy Building the Caliphate: Mosques, High Minarets, Towns and Gardens Purity, Islamic Rituals and the ‘Uthmanic Mushaf Forced Conversion: The Abolition of the Dhimma Malikism, Law and the Judges Re-imagining Ibn Tumart and ‘Abd al-Mu’min: Ibn Tufayl and Ibn Tahir 7 The Caliph’s Men and the Rest: Administration and Knowledge Secretaries, Viziers nd Preachers Poets, Historians and Grammarians Doctors, Philosophers and Astronomers The Ghuraba’, the Mystics and the Saints Shifting Trajectories and the Non-Almohads 8 ‘Abd al-Mu’min’s Significance and Legacy Sources and Select Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe second edition covering the murder of Grenadier Guardsman Robert Nairac GC by the Provisional IRA in 1977.

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Book SynopsisSir William Garrow was born in Middlesex in 1760 and called to the Bar in 1783. He was the dominant figure at the Old Bailey from 1783 to 1793, later becoming an MP, Solicitor-General, Attorney-General and finally a judge and lawmaker within the Common Law Tradition. Garrow is now in the public-eye for daring to challenge entrenched legal ways and means. His 'gifts to the world' include altering the relationship between judge and jury (the former had until then dominated over the latter in criminal trials), helping to forge the presumption of innocence, rules of evidence and ensuring a general right to put forward a defence using a trained lawyer. He gave new meaning to the trial advocate's forensic art of cross-examination, later diverting skills honed as a radical to help the Crown when it was faced with alleged plots, treason and sedition. This is a generous work in which well-known legal historian and biographer John Hostettler and family story-teller Richard Braby (a descendant of Garrow) combine their skills and experience to produce a gem of a book. The lost story of Sir William Garrow and its rediscovery will prove enlightening for professional and general readers alike and provide an invaluable 'missing-link' for legal and social historians. It is also a remarkable work of genealogical research which will register strongly with family historians.Trade Review'A Law book yes, but boring no, a delight to read': Internet Law Book Reviews. 'Without the pioneering work of William Garrow, the legal system would be stuck in the Middle Ages': Radio Times 'Garrow can truely be said to have revolutionised the practice of criminal law': Geoffrey Robertson QC (from the Foreword). 'A blockbuster of a book': Phillip Taylor MBE of Richmond Green Chambers.'[Hostettler and Braby's] definitive biography ... is informative, entertaining and a really good read, and in the process rescues Garrow from undeserved obscurity': Littlehampton GazetteTable of ContentsForeword Geoffrey Robertson QC. 1.Family Background 2.Education in Criminal Law. 3.Garrow and English Criminal Procedure. 4.Early Trials 5. Adversary Trial and Human Rights. 6.Government Prosecutor. 7.The Picton Trials. 8.Member of Parliament and Law Officer. 9.Garrow vs. Brougham. 10.Judge. 11.Garrow's Homes. 12.Sarah 13.Garrow's Will And Trust 14.Garrow's Extended Family. 15.Joseph Garrow's Literary Legacy. 16.Published Stories. 17.Conclusion. Timeline of William Garrow's Life. APPENDIX 1: Garrow Genealogical Studies APPENDIX 2: A Snapshot of Crime and Punishment in the 1800s APPENDIX 3: Some Primary Sources. Select bibliography. Index

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Book SynopsisIn this study of the reign of James II of Scotland, the king is viewed in the context of the Stewart monarchy, from his struggles to overcome his early adversity and the legacy of his father's style of kingship, to the serious political crises of his reign. The relations between the king and his subjects, and the complex balance of power in medieval Scotland are examined, particularly the significant crisis precipitated by James II's attack on the Black Douglases, the greatest of all late medieval magnate families. The changing nature of political involvement among the nobility and the role of Parliament in influencing events are explored, as are the efforts of the king to recover and promote royal authority in the final years of his reign. The role of James II in the wider European context is also studied with a view to shedding light on contemporary perceptions of the Stewart monarchy both at home and abroad. The study is based on contemporary chronicle and official sources, and consideration is also given to later, highly coloured views of James II, which have influenced popular views of the king to the present day.

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Book SynopsisBiography of the most famous Prime Minister of the 20th Century

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Book SynopsisJules Verne is the author of many classic, world-famous novels such as Around the World in 80 Days and Journey to the Centre of the Earth. In this brand-new translation of The Blockade Runners, Verne moves seamlessly between Scotland and the southern states of the US during the American Civil War. With the southern harbours effectively sealed by the North, Scottish industrialist James Playfair must run a daring Federalist blockade of a Charleston harbour in an effort to trade supplies for cotton and to rescue a young girl's father, held prisoner by the Confederates. As the blockade grows tighter, will Playfair risk all to save the man, or will he head back to Scotland in safety with his hold full of precious cotton? The Blockade Runners is a translation of Les Forceurs de Blocus (1871). As a novella, it was originally included along with A Floating City in the first English and French editions.Trade ReviewThe Blockade Runners is a superbly constructed novella. - IAN THOMPSONThe Blockade Runners belongs to the period when the inspiration of the author was growing in power. - CHRISTIAN ROBIN, Verne ScholarVerne's is a tale of love and honour that also manages to concern itself with the abolition of slavery, though with the lightest of touches. It rockets along, aided by Karen Loukes's clean-limbed translation. - THE GUARDIAN This lively work… cuts a steam-powered dash through the Atlantic waves. - THE GUARDIAN

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Book SynopsisConditioned by a childhood surrounded by the rivalries of the Stewart family, and by eighteen years of enforced exile in England, James I was to prove a king very different from his elderly and conservative forerunners. This major study draws on a wide range of sources, assessing James I’s impact on his kingdom. Michael Brown examines James’s creation of a new, prestigious monarchy based on a series of bloody victories over his rivals and symbolised by lavish spending at court. He concludes that, despite the apparent power and glamour, James I’s ‘golden age’ had shallow roots; after a life of drastically swinging fortunes, James I was to meet his end in a violent coup, a victim of his own methods. But whether as lawgiver, tyrant or martyr, James I has cast a long shadow over the history of Scotland.Trade Review'This is an important book, and not only because it is the first full-length biography of James I for nearly sixty years. It is a clearly written and innovative political study, drawn from a deep knowledge of the contemporary documents and chronicles. It gives a challenging, not to say unattractive, picture of a royal thug' - Books in Scotland

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Book SynopsisOn 11th April 1919, less than a year after the assassination of the Romanovs, the British battleship HMS Marlborough left Yalta carrying the Russian Imperial Family into perpetual exile. The Russian Court at Sea vividly recreates this unlikely voyage, with its bizarre assortment of warring characters and its priceless cargo of treasure.Trade ReviewA gripping account of the Romanovs' choppy passage into exile. Welch's detective work has produced a book that is wonderfully witty and sad by turns. * Mail on Sunday *The book's readability and telling use of detail are splendid. * Spectator *A quirky and gripping vignette of 20th-century Russian history. * Sunday Times *A gripping account of the Romanovs choppy passage into exile. Welch s detective work has produced a book that is wonderfully witty and sad by turns. * Mail on Sunday *Yes, it's been told before, but the 1919 exile of the Romanov family from Russia, in which they sailed on HMS Marlborough, is a splendidly exotic story that is well worth another airing; and Frances Welsh does it grippingly here, with lots of details I hadn't come across before. I loved to read of the goods they brought with them, including rolled-up Rembrandt paintings, Faberge eggs and other treasures of the sort. What a pilgrimage, to be sure. * Sunday Telegraph *A fascinating, poignant portrait of a bizarre collection of people caught up in the chaos of their exodus" * The Irish Times *A voyage of delight - revealing, fascinating and by turns shocking and amusing - a story so extraordinary that it reads like a novel. * Lancashire Evening Post *Brooks gets inside the head, explains how the brain works... it's like frieze-framing a novel and discussing the motivation of the characters. It's fascinating... * Evening Standard *

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Book SynopsisThis biography of Jack Maurice Nissenthall, written by his daughter, Linda Nissen Samuels, draws heavily on Jackâs own unpublished autobiography. It outlines his part in the development of radar before and during WW2 and its impact on the eventual outcome, and original letters and photos.

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Book SynopsisIn 1942 radar expert Jack Nissenthall volunteered for a suicidal mission to join a combat team who were making a surprise landing at Dieppe in occupied France. .His choice was to succeed or die. The story of what happened to him and his bodyguards in nine hours under fire is one of World War II's most terrifying true stories of personal heroism.

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Book SynopsisWhen Jarra Brown hears church bells he cannot fail to be reminded of the hundreds â?? 345 to be precise â?? of service personnel who passed through the beautiful rural Wiltshire countryside into Oxfordshire. These men and women were not hiking across its green pastures or sitting on top of the number 55 bus, instead they were lifeless, resting inside a coffin draped with the Union flag. By the end of August 2011 the bells of St Bartholomewâ??s Church in Wootton Bassett had tolled more times than the residents of this once peaceful town cared to think about, for each chime represented the moment the police convoy accompanying the hearse from RAF Lyneham entered the High Street.A moment frozen in time, a moment when the residents of this town came to show their respects, a moment that couldnâ??t have been more fitting even it had been choreographed. There was no call to arms by the Town Crier, just a spontaneous, modest and unprompted response to those who had paid the ultimate price in the name of duty. 46 Miles is not a book about the politics of war, the whys and wherefores of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, or indeed the hidden agendas and government strategies. It is about a town which captured the hearts of our nation and whose emotions rippled the entire 46 mile journey of honour, dignity and respect into Oxford. It is dedicated to those 345 people who, having signed up to serve their Queen and country, paid with their lives. Wootton Bassett, who nurtured the grieving on every occasion, wanted to let the nation know that these brave soldiers will never be forgotten.

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Book Synopsis'An incredibly moving, truly inspiring story of the power of determination. An absolutely stunning read.' Katharine Birbalsingh'Fascinating and poignant... an astoundingly honest and intimate memoir.' Angela PetchPerhaps it's true that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Perhaps it's true that you only know what you truly love when you no longer have it. But I wouldn't have known any of this if I hadn't left it all behind to discover where my home truly was...Growing up in British Guiana in the 1950s, Sharon Maas has everything a shy child with a vivid imagination could wish for. She spends her days studying bugs in the backyard, eating fresh mangos straight from the tree and tucked up on her granny's lap losing herself in books.But with her father campaigning for the country's independence and her mother away for work, there's a void in Sharon's heart, and she craves rules and structure. The books she devours give her a glimpse of life in a faraway country: England. And although none of the characters in these books look like her, her insatiable curiosity leads Sharon to beg to be sent to boarding school.Life at a conservative, Christian school is quite different from Sharon's liberal, atheist upbringing. Girls march silently and single file along corridors and earn badges for deportment. There are twice-daily hymns, grace before and after meals and mandatory bedside prayers. And, all the girls are posh and white, while Sharon is the only one with dark skin. Will she ever fulfil her dream of horseback riding over green hills and going on adventures like her literary heroes? And has she truly found what she was looking for in this chilly corner of the world, thousands of miles away from home?You will be swept off your feet by the unputdownable story of Sharon Maas's extraordinary childhood in British Guiana and England, a beautiful and inspiring coming-of-age tale of self-discovery, determination and chasing your dreams.Praise for The Girl from Lamaha Street:'Beautiful. Poignant. Phenomenal. This was a beautiful read and I learnt so much. I cried and I smiled and there was nothing more that I wanted from this book. Truly a gem.' Goodreads reviewer'To say this story was inspirational would be an understatement. I was utterly mesmerized... As a woman of color, I recognized myself and my experiences in the pages of this memoir... powerful, moving, and heartwarming... I devoured this book, and it is no doubt a five-star read.' Goodreads reviewer'Enlightening... powerful... Beautifully written... I found myself turning and turning, immersed in the story. A wonderful, evocative read.' Nicki's Book Blog'Engaging and intriguing... so good that I was completely enthralled from beginning to end.' NetGalley reviewer

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Book SynopsisThis rich biography tells the remarkable tale of Margaret Haig Thomas who became the Second Viscountess Rhondda. She was a Welsh suffragette, held important posts during the First World War and survived the sinking of the Lusitania. A leading British industrialist, she was also instrumental in securing a seat for women in the House of Lords. Closely associated with figures such as Winifred Holtby, Vera Brittain and George Bernard Shaw, she founded and edited the weekly paper Time and Tide, which dazzled British society with its cutting-edge perspectives. It championed progressive views on women's rights in the 1920s, became a leading literary space for women and men from the thirties onwards and a respected political commentator on national and international affairs. Drawing upon a rich array of sources, many previously unused, Angela V. John explores both the public achievements and the fascinating private world of one of the movers and shakers of British society in the first half of the twentieth century.Trade Review'Margaret, Lady Rhondda, was an improbable revolutionary ... Angela John's excellent biography is thus to be welcomed warmly.' Independent

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Book SynopsisA fascinating look at the life, influences, techniques and works of 18th-century landscape gardener Lancelot 'Capability' Brown. His transformation of unpromising countryside into beautiful parks changed the face of a nation and created a landscape style which for many of us defines the English countryside. One of the most remarkable men of the 18th century, Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown was known to many as ‘The Omnipotent Magician’ who could transform unpromising countryside into beautiful parks that seemed to be only the work of nature. His list of clients included half the House of Lords, six Prime Ministers and even royalty. Although his fame has dimmed, we still enjoy many of his works today at National Trust properties such as Croome Park, Petworth, Berrington, Stowe, Wimpole, Blenheim Palace, Highclere Castle (location of the ITV series Downton Abbey) and many more. In Capability Brown, author and garden historian Sarah Rutherford tells his triumphant story, uncovers his aims and reveals why he was so successful. Illustrated throughout with colour photographs of contemporary sites, historical paintings and garden plans, this is an accessible book for anyone who wants to know more about the man who changed the face of the nation and created a landscape style which for many of us defines the English countryside.

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Book SynopsisFar from Winston Churchill's jibe that he was a "modest little man with plenty to be modest about," in this acclaimed biography, comprehensively revised in this new edition, Francis Beckett makes the case that Clement Attlee's reputation as Britain's greatest ever reforming Prime Minister is fully deserved. With new research, thinking and stories (many of them never published before) Beckett compelling shows Attlee's relevance to a new political generation. Far from being a dull, grey man, he was a poet and a dreamer. Here is an eloquent portrait of Attlee the man, not only his remarkable political life but also of the poetry he wrote, the poetry he loved, and more of the famous Attlee anecdotes.Trade Review'Beckett gets near to the essence of Attlee, and does so in an easy, flowing narrative.' - - Independent 'More government records have been opened, and Beckett has used them to great effect.' - The Times 'An engrossing personal biography of Attlee.' - History Today 'The triumph of this work is the author's success in passing on his love for his subject. By the final chapter...I too liked Attlee, whom I had previously barely known.' - The Spectator 'A formidable work of scholarship...draws out the many facets, including the real subtlety, of his character.' - John Bercow MP

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Book SynopsisInvention, passion, war and exile are but some of the elements in this revealing new insight into Paddy Leigh Fermor's many Romanian journeys. Starting with the `great trudge' on foot through Romania in 1934 and ending in 1990 with his assignment for The Daily Telegraph following the fall of Ceausescu, The Vagabond and The Princess by Alan Ogden unravels the tapestry of fact and fiction woven by Paddy and reveals in detail the touching story of the love affair between the youthful writer and Balasa Cantacuzino, a beautiful Romanian Princess. After a poignant parting on the eve of the Second World War, they were reunited some twenty-five years later and remained in close touch until her death. Paddy had been the great love of her life. Alan Ogden brings great insight into this enduring and touching relationship as well putting into context the glamorous lost world of pre-WW2 Romania.Table of ContentsPreface A Note on Paddy's usage of place names and titles Part 1 - 1934 Chapter 1 - Romania in 1934 Chapter 2 - Hungarian Hosts and Hostesses Chapter 3 - The Secret Journey Chapter 4 - Bucharest 23 October - 14 November 1934 Part 2 - 1935-1945 Chapter 5 - Descriptio Moldaviae Chapter 6 - Baleni Part 3 - 1946-1965 Chapter 7 - The Curtain Falls Chapter 8 - Toutes les Tristesses du Monde Part 4 - 1966-2017 Chapter 9 - Romania Revisited Bibliography Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisIn this highly entertaining and informative book, Christopher Joll and Anthony Weldon have captured the careers, accomplishments, follies and the occasional crimes of over three hundred of the officers and men who have served in the seven Regiments (two Household Cavalry and five Foot Guards) of the sovereign's personal troops. The pages of The DRUM HORSE IN THE FOUNTAIN will reveal a whole parade of remarkable and unusual characters... In the world of the arts - theatre, film, music, and writing - and sport there are many notable, and some surprising, Guardsmen including * two Oscar winning film stars - one of whom was drunkenly responsible for dispatching a Drum Horse into "The Fountain" in front of Buckingham Palace. And some of the most eccentric men ever to have been let loose on the public including * The irresponsible officer in charge of the Tower of London guard who had to break back into the Tower by climbing the mast of a barge on the Thames and then onto Traitor's Gate; * The VC who rallied his troops with a hunting horn; * The officer who dressed as a nun to entertain the Duke of Wellington; * The unfortunate officer who Queen Victoria thought was addressing her when he was actually trying to admonish his unruly horse - she was not amused; * Traitors, conmen, bigamists, a purveyor of `honours for cash' and three accused of murder - as well as at least five murder victims, one of whom died in a Chicago bootleggers' shoot-out. On military service the officers and men of the Household Division have * earned forty-four Victoria Crosses; * been founding members of SOE, SAS, Commandos, operated behind enemy lines and pioneered military parachuting; * acted as spies, double agents and spy masters; * been supported through the fiercest fighting of WW2 by a remarkably loayl tea-lady in her NAAFI wagon. As well as Prime Ministers and politicians, churchmen also feature prominently with * a Cardinal who, had he lived, might have been Pope; an Archbishop of Canterbury, known as `Killer', with an MC (as well as four padres awarded MCs), a bishop, two monks, three Lord Priors of the Order of St John, and two Grand Masters of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (who rank as Cardinals). Were this not enough, amongst actual, as well as aspiring, royalty and their progeny - legitimate and otherwise, there was * the aristocratic candidate for the throne of Albania (who, although almost blind, fought as a regimental officer in WW1 without actually enlisting). ...and, not to be forgotten, are * one regimental wolfhound in the 1930s which dispatched the Italian Ambassador's greyhound, three bears (one stuffed), two WW1 milking cows who took part in the 1919 Victory Parade, one monkey with the rank of Corporal of Horse and a very alert goose called Jacob.Table of ContentsContents Illustrations Foreword by Field Marshal the Lord Guthrie Acknowledgements Introduction Notes on styles, titles, honorifics and regimental names and ranks 1. For Valour 2. Of Hector and Lysander 3. A Soldier's Knapsack 4. O.H.M.S.S. 5. The Gentlemen Adventurers 6. The Concert Party 7. Sports Day 8. Doolally 9. On and Around the Velvet Bench 10. The Church Militant 11. Conduct Unbecoming 12. Animals On Parade And Finally . . . The Purple of Commerce Appendices i The Guards Memorial ii List of holders of the Victoria Cross iii Officers who served with the Special Operations Executive iv The Regiments, Formations and sub-units of the Household Division and their antecedent units Index About the Authors

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Book SynopsisHugh Miller was born in 1802 in Cromarty, North East Scotland. He started his working life as a stonemason's apprentice. A keen interest in fossil collecting followed and he was successful in arousing public interest in geological history. He later became a social commentator and crusader (he was one of the first writers to condemn the Highland Clearances) while his role as a serious religious journalist is highlighted in his discussions on the Disruption of the Church of Scotland and its consequences. As Hugh Miller, a tall man with a shepherd's plaid over his rough tweed suit, walked about Edinburgh he was pointed out with pride. His was a household name in his lifetime, not only in Scotland but also across the English-speaking world. After his death, by his own hand in 1856, his work was mined by historians and anthologists for its acute observations, and geologists continued to love the spirit which imbued his writings, as did the Free Church - but in the 20th century his thoughts on evolutionary biology were sorely obsolete. However, a recent revival in Scots history and culture, and a reassessment of the 19th century debates in science, geology and religion, have all led to a fuller appreciation of the rich and complex stories in which Hugh Miller played a part, and of the man himself. This biography follows the 2003 facsimile edition of Hugh Miller's "The Cruise of the Betsey and Rambles of a Geologist", which Michael Taylor edited. With the benefit of recent research for the 2002 centenary conferences, the book does full justice to a neglected figure whose work and writings continue to give enjoyment and inspiration.Trade Review'This is an excellent, interesting and scholarly biography of Hugh Miller. ... This book is well researched and a pleasure to read. ... effectively brings to life the complex character of Hugh Miller.' Palaeontological Newsletter 'Taylor deftly organizes his immense quantity of research and Miller's complex life into clear and manageable sections. ... The pictures, excerpts and thematic chapters create a comprehensive and enjoyable volume.' IRSS University of Guelph 'Michael Taylor casts much-needed light upon the character of this singular man ... well illustrated and written in short, tube-length chapters that are all perfectly judged. Buy it now.' Geoscientist 'It is well worth reading to understand the context of Miller's life, his impact on Scottish geology, and as an introduction to his writing.' John Muir Trust Journal ' … Taylor's prose streams effortlessly from the page and carries the reader along, rather like a gold thread embroidered through the history of Miller's life. … Anyone with an interest in Miller, or indeed in Victorian era Scotland and its complex social, religious and political history, would doubtless enjoy Taylor's biography.' Hugh's News (review of the reprinted edition 2022)Table of ContentsMap of Scotland; Map of Edinburgh and Leith in the 1850s; Foreword by Marian Allardyce McKenzie Johnston MA MSC; Preface by Dr David Alston; Introduction: One of the living forces of Scotland; A wild insubordinate boy; A Life of manual labour; The literary lion of Gromarty; A sort of Robinson Crusoe in geology; A long, and, in its earlier stages, anxious courtship; A plain working man, in rather humble circumstances; Among the remains of a different creation; Strife, toil and comparative obscurity; His business was to fight; The truth I speak, impugn it whoso list; The landscape was one without figures; The quiet enthusiasm of the true fossil-hunter; He clothed the dry bones of science; Exceedingly plausible and consummately dangerous; A gray maud, buckled shepherd-fashion; These are but small achievements; A tenderly affectionate parent; 19 Dearest Lydia. dear children. farewell; Life itself is a school; Glossary; Index.

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Book SynopsisIn the early years of the PRC, Fujian was something of a poisoned chalice. Its proximity to Taiwan brought with it a concentration of top cadres who were at first lined up to lead the planned retaking of Taiwan, but later left behind to become a thorn in the side of future governors.Xiang Nan, a native Fujianese, was one such ‘unlucky’ leader who ran into direct conflict with the cadres. However, thanks to Xiang, the reformers won the day over the hardliners, cementing Fujian as a key player in China’s 1980s ‘Reform and Opening Up’.Xiang Nan: Champion of Reform in Fujian tells the story of this fearless reformer through pictures and anecdotes from those who knew him best. Featuring many previously unpublished photographs and anecdotes from his travels within China and overseas, readers will gain a fascinating insight into this important figure in recent Chinese history.

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Book SynopsisThe time was 7.40 p.m., the date 15 February 1942. The light was fading fast, the Allied forces were encircled, and the bombardment was relentless, as Singapore fell to the Japanese. Discarding their weapons, the Lancashire Loyals quietly withdrew to their quarters, where they ‘composed themselves as best they could for the silent ordeal of the night, numbed and galled by the bitterness of enforced surrender’. So began three and half years of incarceration at Keijo POW camp in Korea. This is the previously untold story of the brave Lancastrians who endured, told by Chris Given-Wilson, whose father was one of those captured. It is a story of brutality, starvation and disease, but also one of survival, determination and creativity. Among the many ways the prisoners sought to keep their spirits up were the staging of surprisingly sophisticated shows, complete with Gloria d’Earie, the resident female impersonator; the growing of fresh vegetables to improve their health; and the regular publication of Nor Iron Bars (co-edited by the author’s father), with its satirical portrayals of camp life. Copies of this banned journal were successfully concealed from the guards to be smuggled home, and can be seen at the Lancashire Infantry Museum. Chris Given-Wilson writes with warmth and humour, to reveal both the best and the worst of human nature. This book should be read by everyone, but perhaps especially all proud Lancastrians.Table of ContentsPreface vii Principal sources xi Abbreviations and illustrations xii Chapter 1: Lion City 1 Prisoner stories: ‘James’ 15 Chapter 2: Fukai Maru 17 Prisoner stories: Gunner Starkey 31 Chapter 3: Endurance 35 Prisoner stories: Bombardier Butler 55 Chapter 4: Insincerity 59 Prisoner stories: Dr Mizuguchi 71 Chapter 5: Rank 75 Prisoner stories: Artists 91 Chapter 6: Mainichi 97 Prisoner stories: ‘Their Nibs’ 113 Chapter 7: ‘Not necessarily to Japan’s advantage’ 119 Prisoner stories: ‘My first uncensored letter for three and a half years!’ 126 Retrospect: ‘The hinge of fate’ 129 Bibliography 138 Endnotes 140

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Book SynopsisIn a short life full of quiet endeavour, Will Purdom rose to become a key figure in China's struggle to repair the ecology and sustainability of it forests after decades of ruinous logging.

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Book SynopsisWhen the Hon. Gavin Henderson was made the 2nd Lord Faringdon in 1934, he became one of the wealthiest men in Britain. By the time he passed away in 1977 he had given away most of his inheritance to what he considered to be good causes. However, his reputation as a philanthropist was overshadowed by free-spirited events in his youth (such as “setting the Thames on fire”) his left-wing politics, and rumours about his discreet personal life. This biography is based upon the hitherto unpublished papers, diaries and letters that have survived in his former home at Buscot Park. It aims to set the record straight about a man who was often wilfully misunderstood, and whose many achievements suggest that he was born ahead of his time.

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Book SynopsisA fascinating exploration through the renowned Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, a cornerstone source that remains unrivalled nearly a century after its creation by John Gordon Lorimer in 1908. Officially published in 1915, this Gazetteer remained classified until 1953, shared among a select few?political agents, military planners, and diplomats?serving in the British and Indian Governments. It allowed the British to assert control over the region?s historical narrative for over 35 years and even then, remained under tight control until 1970.John Gordon Lorimer steps into the light in this groundbreaking historical triumph?a rare figure from the early 20th century whose life remained untouched by biographical dispute, despite his pivotal role in documenting the Gulf''s history.In this unprecedented study, Dillon unveils previously unseen political, societal, and economic landscapes and sheds light on a valuable artefact that moulded history despite its biases and subjectivity. Lorimer unfolds as a compelling investigation of historical impact, enriched by an indispensable Gazetteer index?never before published. This book is an undeniable revelation that should not be overlooked.

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Book SynopsisThe iconic leader who 'mobilized the English language and sent it to battle'. Churchill's life and political career were certainly long and colourful: he travelled the world, fought in the Boer War, and oversaw the disastrous Gallipoli campaign during the First World War. But it was during the Second World War that this natural leader's qualities of grit, dogged determination and perseverance truly came to the fore as he led the nation to victory. Churchill's rallying speeches made him one of the world's greatest orators, while his acerbic wit was legendary. Readers will delight in finding the best of this illustrious Briton's words in one handy, pocket-sized volume. 'Never give in – never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.' Speech given at Harrow School for boys, London, October 1941. 'I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.' Said on his 75th birthday, 30th November 1949.Table of ContentsBritish Bulldog • World Adventures • Never Give In! • Words with Bite • Observations.

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Book SynopsisWhen the US president, Harry S Truman, declared the Truman Doctrine in March 1947, he could not have known that the resultant Cold War would persist for over 40 years until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991. In addition to nuclear and conventional military friction between the Eastern and Western blocs, the struggle for dominance involved a remarkable range of activities including the space race, psychological efforts, espionage, even rivalry at sporting functions and technological events. This diversity is reflected in the 20 chapters of Cold War Boys which opens with a vivid description from the author of survival procedures used by English Electric Lightning pilots in the event of nuclear war. From there on, various contributors share their original experiences on a range of fixed-wing aircraft and rotorcraft across the world including tales from RAF Germany, the Falklands and the Far East. Each story demonstrates some of the intriguing circumstances faced by aircrew and ground crew whose tenacity and professionalism had to cope with miscellaneous situations of danger, excitement, risk, pathos and humour. This book serves as a reminder of what air forces faced during the Cold War years as the ever-present threat of nuclear war persisted. A must for all aviation fans.

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Book SynopsisBorn in Corsica, and a brilliant military leader during the French revolution, Napoleon became Emperor in 1804 and dominated European and indeed global affairs for the next ten years, leading France against a series of coalitions in what were later called the Napoleonic wars. His victories are the stuff of legend, as is his famous invasion of Russia in 1812, disastrous and shattering retreat from Moscow two years later, and final defeat by Britain and its allies at Waterloo in 1815. So how great a military leader was Napoleon?  And how skilled a political operator? Why are his relationships with women, and especially his Empress, Josephine, so famous? And what of his legacy – in particular, how important was the so-called Napoleonic Code? “The ideas that underpin our modern world—meritocracy, equality before the law, property rights, religious toleration, modern secular education, sound finances, and so on—were championed, consolidated, codified and geographically extended by Napoleon,” says Andrew Roberts. “To them he added a rational and efficient local administration, an end to rural banditry, the encouragement of science and the arts, the abolition of feudalism and the greatest codification of laws since the fall of the Roman Empie.” Zamoyski assesses this verdict of Napoleon and gives his own view of the greatness and legacy of one of history’s most compelling figures.  

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Book SynopsisAuthorised biography of Welsh nationalist and activist John Barnard Jenkins, one of the most iconic figures in recent Welsh history. The leader of Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (MAC), he masterminded their 1960s bombing campaign protesting British state oppression and exploitation of Wales' natural resources. Hardback edition: 9781912631070Trade ReviewDr Wyn Thomas was the author of Hands Off Wales (Gomer, 2013), a study based on his doctoral thesis. This previous volume analysed the nationalist militancy which characterized the heady 1960s, culminating in the violent protests which took place during the period just before the Investiture at Caernarfon Castle on 1 July 1969. Several government institutions in the various parts of Wales and Welsh water pipe lines were targeted and, sadly, there were to be a number of casualties as a result. The view expressed by Wyn Thomas in the study is that the militant Welsh nationalism of the 1960s is now an integral part of our history as a nation and should certainly not be emulated in the 21st century. What, however, is clear to Dr Thomas is that the record of Welsh militancy in the 1960s tended to be airbrushed from history on the grounds that it was not wholly academically respectable and might well prevent the career progression of our Welsh historians. In a sense the present volume is a natural offshoot from the earlier study for it examines the extraordinary life and quite unique career of John Barnard Jenkins who, at 86, still remains fully convinced of the justice of his cause to this very day. Jenkins spent his early career as an officer within the British Army and later assumed the position of the leading light within the nationalist paramilitary organisation Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru. It was he who was primarily responsible for organising the daring bombing campaigns of the late 1960s and was sentenced to a prison term of ten years. He was eventually released from Albany Prison in July 1976. John Jenkins is one of the most alluring but hitherto understudied figures in modern Welsh political history. As is revealed in this book, it was his heartfelt conviction that the Welsh voice received no hearing in the corridors of power at Westminster which were ever ready to exploit the exploitation of the natural resources of Wales. The campaigns did undoubtedly achieve a measure of success, as they drew attention to the desperate need for a measure of administrative devolution for Wales and the holding of the first abortive referendum on 1 March 1979. We are told by the author, 'After fifteen years of interviews and 2½ years of write-up, I am happy and relieved to state that I have completed John Jenkins: the Reluctant Revolutionary?' The backbone of the research is a long series of interviews (conducted between 2004 and 2019) with John Jenkins who has clearly been outstandingly candid, if defiantly outspoken, throughout, and with a number of former police officers who worked (usually as low-key plain clothes officers) to counter the machinations of Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru, other active supporters of the movement and various members of their families. Much previously long-buried information has come to light and the dark world of the MAC, with its distinctive political and social background, has been probed as a result. Throughout the author's tone and approach is highly sympathetic, a feature which may well jar with some of the book's readers. Full attention is given in these pages to John Jenkins's childhood and upbringing, his relationship with his mother Minerva and her own background, his early spirituality and Christian beliefs, his evolving political awareness, in part as a result of the horrific Aber-fan disaster of October 1966, and his personal life, including his marriage to his wife Thelma and their subsequent divorce in June 1972, and his role as a father to their two sons Vaughan and Rhodri. Later sections of the book analyse Jenkins's gradual 'conversion' to the ideals embraced by the MAC, and, eventually, his comparative 'rejection' by much of Welsh society. The immediate and long-term outcomes of the MAC campaigns are then discussed. It was Jenkins's proud assertion only this year, 'Never again will Whitehall take us [Wales] for granted'. The vigilant reader must judge for himself the veracity of this bold assertion. The MAC is compared with other contemporary protest movements, and the volume ends with a compelling, astute pen-portrait of the unrepentant John Jenkins as he is today. The volume discusses his 'legacy' and his so-called 'mortality'. Finally, brief attention is given to history's verdict on Jenkins and his contribution. Throughout, one is struck by the completeness of the underlying research and the validity of the shrewd historical analysis. The author also informs us: 'I am working on another title which addresses (primarily, although not entirely) the judicial process of the Tryweryn Reservoir Bill.' It will certainly be eagerly awaited. -- J. Graham Jones @ www.gwales.com

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Book SynopsisThe astonishing story of Henry Coombe-Tennant (1913-89), who served in the British Army in World War II, escaping from a POW camp, joining Special Forces and aiding the French Resistance, before working for the British Secret Service in Baghdad and ending his days as a Benedictine monk! Over 30 photographs and maps.Trade Review"Bernard Lewis has written an engaging biography of a man of great gifts which is of both historical and personal value to the reader." - The Guards Magazine "A real life Welsh James Bond." - Neil Prior, BBC News The astonishing biography of Henry Coombe-Tennant (1913–89), whose family lived at Cadoxton Lodge near Neath and created Port Tennant at Swansea. Henry's mother, Winifred Coombe-Tennant, was a well-known suffragette, political campaigner and psychic medium, and he was the result of her extra-marital affair with the brother of the Prime Minister. According to Winifred, her spirit-world contacts claimed that Henry was to become the ‘New Messiah’, bringing peace to a troubled world. After Eton, Cambridge and China (having taught himself Mandarin), Henry went into the Welsh Guards, before being captured during World War II, escaping from his POW camp and making it back to Britain. He then joined Special Forces, parachuting into occupied France to assist the Resistance. Post-war, he served with NATO and then MI6, becoming ‘our man in Baghdad’ after a bloody revolution in Iraq. Converting to Catholicism in the early 1960s, he ended his days as a Benedictine monk at Downside Abbey near Bath. An incredible life and a fascinating read, this is the untold story of a forgotten Welsh hero. -- Publisher: Y LolfaTable of ContentsAcknowledgements 7 1. A New Messiah 9 2. The Wise One 21 3. Unhappy at Eton 32 4. A Success at Cambridge 43 5. The Welsh Guards 58 6. Into Battle 68 7. Prisoner of War 84 8. Over the Wire 101 9. On the Run 115 10. Special Forces 140 11. Behind Enemy Lines 153 12. Advancing on Germany 177 13. The Palestinian Mandate 203 14. Inside Intelligence 218 15. A Benedictine Monk 234 Select Bibliography 253 Index 256

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