Biography: historical, political and military Books

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Book SynopsisThe third volume of Alison Weir’s magisterial history of the queens of medieval England.‘Weir’s history books are as gripping as novels’ The TimesMedieval queens were seen as mere dynastic trophies – yet, as Alison Weir shows in this group biography, many of the Plantagenet queens of the High Middle Ages dramatically broke away from the restrictions imposed on their sex.Using personal letters and fascinating sources, Weir evokes the lives of these five extraordinary women: Marguerite of France, Isabella of France, Philippa of Hainault, Anne of Bohemia and Isabella of Valois. At the same time, she recreates a truly astonishing period of history – the turbulent, brutal Age of Chivalry.‘Places the reader in the midst of…complex, gripping events, telling the stories of five royal wives who lived through them’ BBC History‘Weir is an excellent storyteller’ SpectatorTrade ReviewWeir... paints a rich image of the lives these queens led... this book shines a light on the turbulent but often forgotten stories of the queens of this important period in English history. * BBC History Magazine *Weir's character sketches of all five women are engaging, her attention to detail and itineraries comprehensive. She is an excellent storyteller: descriptions are vivid and her knowledge of the sources is extensive. * Spectator *Stunning... [Weir has] brought those five queens to life like never before. I just raced through it - it has all the drama and suspense of a novel. -- Tracy Borman, praise for QUEENS OF THE CRUSADES[A] historian who has achieved popularity without sacrificing scholarly precision... She writes with the dramatic intensity of a novelist. -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times - praise for QUEENS OF THE CRUSADES *The book that I most anticipated this year was Alison Weir's Queens of the Crusades... Told with all of Weir's characteristic verve and exceptional eye for detail, this book should find its way into every history lover's Christmas stocking. -- Tracy Borman * BBC History Magazine *Books of the Year 2020* - praise for QUEENS OF THE CRUSADES *

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Book SynopsisLonglisted for the 2019 Portico Prize The extraordinary life of history's first modern lesbian who inspired the popular television series Gentleman Jack. Anne Lister's journals were so shocking that the first person to crack their secret code hid them behind a fake panel in his ancestral home. Anne Lister was a Regency landowner, an intrepid world traveller ... and an unabashed lover of other women. In this bold new biography, prizewinning author Angela Steidele uses the diaries to create a portrait of Anne Lister as we've never seen her before: a woman in some ways very much of her time and in others far ahead of it. Anne Lister recorded everything from the most intimate details of her numerous liaisons through to her plans to make her fortune by exploiting the coal seams under her family estate in Halifax and her reaction to the Peterloo massacre. She conducted a love life of labyrinthine complexity, all while searching for a girlfriend who could provide her with both financial security and true love. Anne Lister's rich and unconventional life is now the subject of the major BBC TV drama series Gentleman Jack.Trade ReviewA fascinating book about a remarkable woman -- Robbie Millen * The Times *Steidele's steely account of the lives behind the first rainbowed plaque is a triumph of truth over fantasy. Lister's extraordinary pioneering life deserves to be remembered -- Ruth Scurr * Guardian *Angela Steidele has written a Regency romp which gives a vivid glimpse into a hidden world of female eroticism * Spectator *Paints a vivid picture of a woman who lived and loved as she pleased * Stylist *Steidele might just be a German equivalent to Jeanette Winterson * New Books in German *Really a joy to read * Missy Magazine *What a character, what material! ...And now also a narrative phenomenon * Sueddeutsche Zeitung *A highly recommended book about a breathtakingly adventurous woman's life * Deutschlandfunk *

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Book SynopsisFINALIST FOR THE CUNDILL PRIZE FOR HISTORYNot only deserves the description epic, in its true sense, but the term masterpiece as well' IndependentThis gripping epic tells the story of one of the world's most critical failed nation-states: the Democratic Republic of Congo. Interweaving his own family's history with the voices of a diverse range of individuals charismatic dictators, feuding warlords, child soldiers, and many in the African diaspora of Europe and China Van Reybrouck offers a deeply humane approach to political history, focusing squarely on the Congolese perspective and returning a nation's history to its people.Trade Review‘The research, the devotion, the inventiveness in Van Reybrouck's writing are a gift to everyone, not just fans of African history. This book not only deserves the description "epic", in its true sense, but the term "masterpiece" as well.’ Independent ‘A Big, fat, rich, readable tome … The book is alive with stories, and Reybrouck’s love of the nation and its people comes across strongly’ Independent on Sunday ‘Van Reybrouck brings this excessive history vividly to life … He has not only read through the library he intends to replace, he has dug up new archival material and draws on living memories … The result is a book as rich and resourceful as Congo itself.’ Guardian ‘A piece of luck for English-speaking readers. This is a magnificent account, intimately researched, and relevant for anyone interested in how the recent past may inform our near future … Extraordinary.’ New York Times ‘A vivid panorama of one of the most tormented lands in the world … Van Reybrouck covers all this in engrossing detail … A valuable addition to the rich literature that Congo has inspired.’ Washington Post ‘The English-speaking world has been impatiently awaiting this translation. ‘Congo’ is a remarkable piece of work. Van Reybrouck pulls off the tricky feat of keeping a panoramic history of a vast and complex nation accessible, intimate and particular.’ Michela Wrong, author of In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz ‘A monumental history . . . more exciting than any novel’ NRC Handelsblad ‘[Van Reybrouck] has a beautiful feel for language … His eye for the arresting human detail, combined with a wry appreciation for a peculiarly Congolese form of gumption, keeps you powering through this panoramic survey of 150 turbulent years … Both intimate and immediate … Fascinating’ Spectator ‘A masterful and gripping account … makes you rethink the entire project of modernity’ Yuval Noah Harari, Guardian Summer Reads

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Book Synopsis'A triumph – a Game of Thrones in the Dark Ages' TOM HOLLAND. The magisterial biography of Oswald Whiteblade, exiled prince of Northumbria, who returned in blood and glory to reclaim his birthright. A charismatic leader, a warrior whose prowess in battle earned him the epithet Whiteblade, an exiled prince who returned to claim his birthright, the inspiration for Tolkein's Aragorn. Oswald of Northumbria was the first great English monarch, yet today this legendary figure is all but forgotten. In this panoramic portrait of Dark Age Britain, archaeologist and biographer Max Adams returns the king in the North to his rightful place in history.Trade ReviewA triumph. The most gripping portrait of 7th-Century Britain that I have read... A Game of Thrones in the Dark Ages' -- Tom Holland, The TimesAn engagingly populist and evocative book that makes a bold and effective attempt to bring a particularly obscure period in northern British history to the general reader * Literary Review *This early ruler had a life, and a legacy that rivals any fable * Independent *Gripping, hugely enjoyable and deeply scholarly. * History Today Books of the Year *

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Book Synopsis'We all know about Queen Victoria, Edward VIII and Queen Elizabeth II, but how much do we really know about other monarchs? Yes, we know William the Conqueror beat King Harold at the Battle of Hastings. We know George III was mad, but what else do we know about his 60 year long reign? We know Henry VIII famously had six wives, but do we know much more about him, other than he was very fat?'The British monarchy is one of the oldest in the world - dating so far back that even its origins are the subject of debate. Was William the Conqueror the first king of England, or was it Alfred the Great? In this third instalment of the series that began with The Prime Ministers and The Presidents, Iain Dale charts this long history of the English and British monarchy, with 64 essays by journalists, historians and politicians on every individual to have sat on the throne, as well as some who didn't.From Alfred the Great to Charles III, each essay examines the monarch, their role and what they tell us about British history. Why has the British monarchy, unlike so many others, endured? Kings and Queens will attempt to answer this question, and many others, providing valuable insight into British history and how Britain is ruled today.Trade Review'Entertaining, well-researched and eminently readable.' * Entertainment Focus *

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Book SynopsisA fascinating look at Hollywood’s most turbulent decade and the demise of the studio system—set against the boom of the post–World War II years, the Cold War, and the atomic age—and the movies that reflected the seismic shiftsHollywood in the 1950s was a period when the film industry both set conventions and broke norms and traditions—from Cinerama, CinemaScope, and VistaVision to the epic film and lavish musical. It was a decade that saw the rise of the anti-hero; the smoldering, the hidden, and the unspoken; teenagers gone wild in the streets; the sacred and the profane; the revolution of the Method; the socially conscious; the implosion of the studios; the end of the production code; and the invasion of the ultimate body snatcher: the “small screen” television.Here is Eisenhower’s America—seemingly complacent, conformity-ridden revealed in Vincente Minnelli’s Father of the Bride, Walt Disney&rs

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Book SynopsisThe irresistible story of Japanese cherry blossoms, threatened by political ideology and saved by an unknown Englishman'This is not just a tale of trees, but of . . . endeavour, war and reconciliation' Sunday TimesCollingwood Ingram, born in 1880, became known as 'Cherry' for his defining obsession. As a young man, he travelled to Japan and learned of the astonishing displays of cherry blossoms, or sakura.On a return visit in 1926, Ingram witnessed frightening changes to the country's cherry population. A cloned variety was sweeping the landscape and being used as a symbol for Japan's expansionist ambitions. Determined to protect the diversity of the trees, Ingram began sending the rare varieties from his own garden in England back to Japan with the help of a network of 'cherry guardians'.This is an eloquent portrait of an extraordinary man whose legacy we enjoy every spring, and his unsung place in botanic history.'Engrossing . . . A portrait of great charm and sophistication' Christopher Harding, GuardianWinner of the 2020 Award for Excellence from The Council on Botanical and Horticultural LibrariesTrade ReviewThis is not just a tale of trees, but of the symbolism of the cherry tree to Japan: of endeavour, war and reconciliation * Sunday Times, Books of the Year *Sympathetic and engrossing... a portrait of great charm and sophistication, rich in its natural and historical range, guaranteeing that you won’t look at cherry blossoms the same way again -- Dr Christopher Harding * Guardian *A remarkable book…excellent...fascinating, a treat for gardeners, cherry-growers and historians -- Robin Lane Fox * Financial Times *[A] deeply moving book -- beautifully written, and a huge achievement in terms of research -- Claire Kohda Hazelton * The Spectator *Set against the narrative arc of Japanese history, journalist Naoko Abe's account of the man behind the preservation of her country's national symbol is both sympathetic and compelling... On reading this book, beautifully illustrated with atmospheric period shots and colour plates, you may well determine, as I have, to visit Japan at cherry blossom time -- Vanessa Berridge * Sunday Express *

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Book SynopsisThe Pulitzer prizewinning biography of Peter the Great, the ruler who brought Russia from darkness into light. Against the monumental canvas of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Europe and Russia, Robert K. Massie unfolds the extraordinary story of Peter the Great. A volatile feudal tsar with a taste for barbaric torture; a progressive and enlightened reformer of government and science; Peter the Great embodied the greatest strengths and weaknesses of Russia while being at the very forefront of her development. Robert K. Massie delves deep into Peter's life and character, chronicling the pivotal events that transformed the boy star into a national icon. His portrayal of the complexities and contradictions of this most energetic of Russian rulers brings a towering historical figure unforgettably to life.Trade ReviewEnthralling. As fascinating as a novel and more so than most * New York Times *Urgently readable... The work of a master of narrative history' * Newsweek *Exceptional * New Yorker *

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Book SynopsisAnne Boleyn is one of the most divisive figures in British history. Her love-match with Henry VIII and her subsequent execution at the Tower of London after only three years of marriage have made her the subject of heated debate and speculation. Everyone wants to know how she really felt and how and why she became queen: was she a ruthless schemer or was her death simply a tragic consequence of court politics? Unbiased descriptions of Anne are difficult to find: most were written after her death. Anne was effectively written out of history for the rest of Henry VIII’s reign, and that of his son, Edward VI. Her name was literally chiselled out of the fabric of Hampton Court, her badges and heraldry replaced by those of Jane Seymour. Historians continue to battle over her reputation today and the fascination with the life and death of Anne Boleyn lives on. This objective and informative book brings clarity to our view of Anne Boleyn, perhaps the most influential and important queen consort England ever had.Trade Review'highly informative…this is a fascinating read which really helps us understand Anne's role and importance…Pitkin books are just as collectable as ever!’ * Parents in Touch *

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Book SynopsisMaggie Greville lived in obscurity, until her father William McEwan changed everything. He was a self-made man, controller, and philanthropist, who staged the rise of Maggie A to Maggie G. Power, money, and tutoring created the new modern emancipated woman, who bought her own house in her own name (Polesden Lacey), even though she had a husband. Thrown into a world of opulently dressed aristocrats, royalty and maharajahs, politics and charity combined with money, initiated success. The Long Walk at Polesden Lacey became a secret political venue, away from prying eyes and ears. With close connections to Edward VII, George V and Queen Mary, George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and International Royalty, Maggie acted as the new manipulator at court to gain international recognition. The far-reaching effect of the procurement of money, and power in its various aspects, was demonstrated so clearly by Maggie G – the lady who made a difference.

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Book SynopsisPerfect for readers of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka's Journey and The Librarian of Auschwitz - this is the international bestselling and life-affirming true story of female bravery and surviving the horrors of Auschwitz. NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller and WINNER of the Opzij Literature Prize 2019They knew their survival depended on each other. They had to live for each other. It is 1940 and the Final Solution is about to begin. The Nazis have occupied The Netherlands but resistance is growing and two Jewish sisters - Janny and Lien Brilleslijper - are risking their lives to save those being hunted, through their clandestine safehouse 'The High Nest'. It becomes one of the most important safehouses in the country but when the house and its occupants are betrayed the most terrifying time of the sisters' lives begins. This is the beginning of the end. With German defeat in sight, the Brilleslijper family are put on the last train to Auschwitz, along with Anne Frank and her family. What comes next challenges the sisters beyond human imagination as they are stripped of everything but their courage, resilience and love for each other.Trade Review...a gripping, nightmarish story * DAILY MAIL *A compelling tale * JEWISH CHRONICLE *

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Book SynopsisHannah Arendt is one of the most renowned political thinkers of the twentieth century and her work has never been more relevant than it is today. Born in Germany in 1906, Arendt published her first book at the age of 23, before turning away from the world of academic philosophy to reckon with the rise of the Third Reich. After the War, Arendt became one of the most prominent - and controversial - public intellectuals of her time, publishing influential works such as The Origins of Totalitarianism, The Human Condition and Eichmann in Jerusalem. Samantha Rose Hill weaves together new biographical detail, archival documents, poems and correspondence to reveal a woman whose passion for the life of the mind was nourished by her love of the world.Trade Review‘Hill sparingly and undramatically chooses her details (without, thankfully, passing over the gossip) . . . She is evidently so used to explaining Arendt’s ideas to nervous freshmen that each chapter contains a SparkNotes-like summary of the major works written during the time period in question. They are concise and comprehensible . . . Hill was well situated to go diving for gems in Arendt’s papers, letters, and marginalia . . . Hill spares us the clichéd, tabloid-ish critiques that make up a sizable chunk of Arendtian lore (“she was a self-hating Jew”; “I can’t believe she loved Heidegger”; “she thought Eichmann’s crimes were banal”; and so on and so forth). Instead, Hill calmly — and quietly, but without truckling — applies her close readings of Arendt’s most controversial ideas to our own oftentimes taut and illiberal social atmosphere.’ — LA Review of Books; ‘The stated aim of Samantha Rose Hill’s new Arendt biography, a slim installment in Reaktion Books’s Critical Lives series, is to introduce this perennially relevant thinker to new readers . . . A brief primer on her life and thinking is timely, given the resurgence of interest . . . While the aim of this biography might be to serve as a brief, lively introduction to Arendt, Hill accomplishes something richer. In introducing us to Arendt's life and thought, what emerges is an example of thinking as a dynamic activity . . . Hill does not present Arendt as a banister to hold up our thinking. Rather, she aptly shows that Arendt is someone to read now because Arendt is someone worth thinking with.’ — Women’s Review of Books; ‘As Hill points out in Hannah Arendt, even in works such as The Origins of Totalitarianism – surprise bestseller of the Trump era – the political is invariably brought back to the personal.’ — Prospect Magazine; ‘This book could hardly appear more opportunely. Arendt’s way of thinking, though original to the point of being difficult to follow, appeals to an increasing number of men and women who question the meaning of their lives in the world we share. Arendt’s own writings and the books and essays analyzing them may seem exhaustive, yet Hill’s work does something new: without simplifying Arendt’s thinking, she opens it to contemporary readers who, in the darkness of our times, will find a friend, a woman, who lived through the darkest of all times.’ — Jerome Kohn, trustee of the Hannah Arendt Bluecher Literary Trust

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Book Synopsis''Superb, beautifully written, touching and occasionally very funny'' Andrew RobertsDavid Gilmour''s superb biography of Rudyard Kipling is the first to show how the life and work of the great writer mirrored the trajectory of the British Empire, from its zenith to its final decades. His famous poem ''Recessional'' celebrated Queen Victoria''s Diamond Jubilee in 1897, but his last poems warned of the dangers of Nazism, and in those intervening years Kipling, himself an icon of the Empire, was transformed from an apostle of success to a prophet of national decline. As Gilmour makes clear, Kipling''s mysterious stories and poetry deeply influenced the way his readers saw both themselves and the British Empire, and they continue to challenge us today.''A fine, fair and generous work ... Gilmour''s celebrated life of Curzon demonstrated his mastery of imperial nuance and esoteric character, and he brings to this book just the right combination of empathy,Trade ReviewAn enthralling biography of a mind ... essential reading for anyone who cares about how a writer finds, and passionately lives, his subject -- Ruth Padel * Daily Telegraph *The best Kipling biogaphy yet written ... Gilmour's account of this driven man shines with intelligence -- J. B. Pick * Scotsman *A fine, fair and generous work ... Gilmour's celebrated life of Curzon demonstrated his mastery of imperial nuance and esoteric character, and he brings to this book just the right combination of empathy, distaste and fastidious detachment -- Jan Morris * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisUsing never before seen sources, Once a King is a fresh, revelatory and gripping insight into the Duke of Windsor - King Edward VIII - who gave up the throne to marry the woman he loved, twice divorced American Wallis Simpson. Considering Edward VIII's travels and interests as Prince of Wales as well as his relationship with Wallis Simpson and the course of events leading up to his abdication and subsequent exile, Once a King offers a previously unexplored lens through which we encounter first-hand the hitherto concealed subtlety and raw emotion of two of the twentieth century's most iconic Royal figures: the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.  

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Book Synopsis'Peculiarly hilarious!' - William Gibson'Every page is a pleasure' - Lindsey FItzharris'Utterly charming' - Tom Holland'Laugh-out-loud' - Garth Nix'A must read' - Fergus Butler-Gallie'Brims with self-effacing charm' - Caitlin Doughty'Unfortunately I have mislaid the book in question' - Neil GaimanWelcome to Sotheran's, one of the oldest bookshops in the world, with its weird and wonderful clientele, suspicious cupboards, unlabelled keys, poisoned books and some things that aren't even books, presided over by one deeply eccentric apprentice.Some years ago, Oliver Darkshire stepped into the hushed interior of Henry Sotheran Ltd on Sackville Street (est. 1761) to interview for a job. Allured by the smell of old books and the temptation of a management-approved afternoon nap, he was soon balancing teetering stacks of first editions, fending off nonagenarian widows and trying not to upset the store's resident ghost (the late Mr Sotheran, hit by a tram).Darkshire came to love Sotheran's, not just for its illustrious history (or for producing the most cursed book of all time), but also its joyous disorganization and the unspoken rules of its gleefully old-fashioned staff, whose mere glance may cause a computer to burst into flames.By turns unhinged and earnestly dog-eared, Once Upon a Tome is the rather colourful story of life in one of the world's oldest bookshops and a love letter to the benign, unruly world of antiquarian bookselling.Trade ReviewSeeking a Christmas present for that bibliophilic relative who has seemingly read everything? It's right here. * Financial Times *Peculiarly hilarious and/or hilariously peculiar! -- William GibsonAn enchanting billet-doux to an arcane and eccentric world. Every page is a pleasure. -- Lindsey Fitzharris, bestselling author of The FacemakerA wonderful, eccentric love letter to books and the people who love them... A must read for anyone who has ever lost a few hours in a second hand bookshop or been tutted at by a strangely dressed proprietor. -- Fergus Butler-Gallie, bestselling author of A Field Guide to the English ClergyUtterly charming -- Tom Holland, bestselling author of DominionDarkshire is an exciting new voice brimming with self-effacing charm. If you consider yourself a book aficionado, this is your Coachella. -- Caitlin Doughty, author of Smoke Gets in Your EyesI love bookseller memoirs, and this is a laugh-out-loud exemplar... A very entertaining journey into the dimly lit heart of rare bookselling. -- Garth Nix, award-winning author of The Left-Handed Booksellers of LondonSirs, thank you for your extremely entertaining book, which I have enjoyed most heartily. The anecdotes about the bookselling profession were as enlightening as they were amusing. Unfortunately I have mislaid the book in question as there are honestly too many books here. I mean, they're everywhere. Teetering piles of the things. If ever I see it again I'll try and say something nice about it, but by then it will undoubtedly be too late. Yours apologetically, -- Neil GaimanA book lover's delight * Irish Examiner *He writes very engagingly and extremely honestly... His sardonic wit runs through the book in a similar fashion to Shaun Bythell... But here there's more of a mischievous Terry Pratchett tone... Uproariously funny * Fine Books Magazine *Beneath the bemusement and occasionally explosive irritation, there is a very kindly book here, about unlikely friendships and little epiphanies. * The Scotsman *Once Upon A Tome is an utter treat for those of us who prefer books and reading to any other activity - the oddballs and obsessives who, like waggish Oliver Darkshire, never easily mixed with other children at school; who loathed compulsory games and sport; who have never 'texted' or 'tweeted'; and who require a lot of floor space, 'an indecent amount of square footage', to house our ever-expanding hoard. -- Book of the Week * Daily Mail *With its mixture of exaggerated misanthropy and eloquent surrealism, Once Upon a Tome calls to mind the cult television sitcom Black Books, albeit with more emphasis on matters of genuine interest to bibliophiles. * Times Literary Supplement *Mr. Darkshire is a witty observer .... All of this-the craft and customs of an esoteric enterprise; the delights and irritations of buying and selling-is conveyed in charming short chapters with titles like "Kerfuffles," and in a prim tone perfectly suited to Mr. Darkshire's subject. * Wall Street Journal *

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Book SynopsisThe inspiring story of a US Special Forces soldier who was medically retired after stepping on an IED, and his incredible return to active duty.Sergeant First Class (SFC) Ryan Hendrickson is a brave, determined, and courageous soldier--a Green Beret clearing the way for his twelve-man team while conducting combat operations against the Taliban. As the 'tip of the spear,' his role is to insure the route taken by U.S. and Afghan troops are free of IEDs--improvised explosive devices. Many soldiers do not survive their last step; those who do often lose at least one limb. While rescuing an Afghan soldier outside a mud-hut compound in 2010--knowing that he was in 'uncleared' territory--Ryan stepped on an IED with his right foot. The device exploded, leaving his foot dangling at the end of his leg. American soldiers losing a limb is an all-too-common occurrence. But what makes Ryan's story different is that after undergoing two dozen surgeries and a tortuous rehabilitation, he was medically retired but fought to return to active duty. Multiple skin grafts to his lower leg and right foot successfully reattached his lower leg, and he was aided in his recovery by wearing a new prosthetic device known as an IDEO (Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis). Once he passed a series of crucial physical tests, Ryan was able to rejoin the Green Berets within a year and physically perform his duties, redeploying to Afghanistan in March 2012. In 2016, he volunteered to return to Afghanistan with Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group. During a firefight with the Taliban, he risked his life under heavy enemy fire to rescue three Afghan soldiers cut off from friendly forces and return the bodies of two dead Afghan soldiers under the ethos that 'no one gets left behind.' For his heroic efforts on the battlefield, SFC Ryan Hendrickson was awarded a Silver Star, the nation's third-highest award for valor.An engaging and harrowing account, Tip of the Spear tells the amazing story of one Green Beret's indomitable spirit.

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Book SynopsisKhalil Maleki (1901–1969) was a selfless campaigner for democracy and social welfare in twentieth-century Iran. His was a unique approach to politics, prioritising the criticism of policies detrimental to his country’s development over the pursuit of power itself. An influential figure, he was at the centre of such formative events as the split of the communist Tudeh party, and the 1953 coup and its aftermath. In an age of intolerance and uncompromising confrontation, Maleki remained an indefatigable advocate for open discussion and peaceful reform – a stance that saw him jailed several times. This work makes a compelling case for him to be regarded among the foremost thinkers of his generation.Trade Review'The combination of Katouzian’s firsthand knowledge of some of the episodes on which he reports, his detailed record of Maleki’s associations with other prominent intellectual and political figures of the mid-twentieth century, and his wide-angle account of social and political life in modern Iran makes the book a unique and valuable resource for scholars of modern Iranian history and political thought.' -- Iranian Studies‘Khalil Maleki is not only an authoritative and insightful account of the political life and ideas of Iran’s foremost democratic socialist during the middle decades of the twentieth century, but an erudite and incisive analysis of the country’s intellectual and political history through that fateful century. It is based on a wealth of primary sources and the author’s own lifetime of prodigious scholarship.’ -- Ali Banuazizi, Professor of Political Science, Boston College‘A major contribution to the recovery of the rich, but lesser-known, tradition of the Iranian Left. Khalil Maleki’s life, and his intellectual journey, tell the story of the complicated road Iran travelled in its desire to achieve a “national” modernity, and to be at “home” with the modern world. In this context, Dr Katouzian’s work deserves considerable scholarly attention for its achievement.’ -- Ali Mirsepassi, Professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, New York University‘Drawing on his lifetime’s work on Iranian modern history, Homa Katouzian has provided us with a rich and authoritative account of Khalil Maleki’s political and intellectual life.’ -- Roham Alvandi, Associate Professor of International History, London School of Economics and Political ScienceTable of ContentsAcknowledgements A Note on Transliteration Introduction: The Age of Khalil Maleki 1 Khalil Maleki and the Fifty-Three 2 The Tudeh Party 3 Power Struggles and Oil Nationalisation 4 The Toilers Party 5 The Third Force 6 The 1953 Coup and After 7 Power Struggles, 1960–1963 8 Maleki: The Last Phase Epilogue: Maleki’s Success and Failure Select Bibliography Notes Index

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Book SynopsisChristopher Hitchens goes straight for the jugular in The Trial of Henry Kissinger. Under his fearsome gaze, the former Secretary of State and National Security Advisor is accused of being a war criminal whose reckless actions and heinous disregard for international law have led to torture, kidnapping, and murder.This book is a polemical masterpiece by a man who, for forty years, was the Angloshpere's preeminent man of letters. In The Trial of Henry Kissinger, Hitchens' verve, style and firebrand wit are on show at the height of their potency.'A good liar must have a good memory: Kissinger is a stupendous liar with a remarkable memory.' Christopher HitchensTrade Review'This is a disturbing glimpse into the dark side of American power, whose consequences in remote corners of the globe are all too often ignored. Its countless victims have found an impassioned and skilful advocate in Christopher Hitchens.' * Sunday Times *'This book is so studiedly defamatory that if Kissinger values his reputation, he really must sue.' * Literary Review *I find it contemptible. * Henry Kissinger *Table of Contents1: Curtain-Raiser: The Secret of 2: Indochina 3: A Sample of Cases: Kissinger's War Crimes in Indochina 4: Bangladesh: One Genocide, One Coup and One Assassination 5: Chile 6: An Afterword on Chile 7: Cyprus 8: East Timor 9: A "Wet Job" in Washington? 10: Afterword: The Profit Margin 11: Law and Justice

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Book SynopsisTELEGRAPH BOOKS OF THE YEAR and OBSERVER BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2014Limonov is not a fictional character, but he could have been. He's lived a hundred lives. He was a hoodlum in Ukraine, an idol of the Soviet underground, punk-poet and valet to a billionaire in Manhattan, fashion writer in Paris, lost soldier in the Balkans, and now, in the chaos after the fall of communism a charismatic party leader of a gang of political desperados. Limonov sees himself as a hero, but he is also a bastard. Carrere suspends judgment. Carrère decided to write about Limonov because he thought "that his life, romantic and reckless, tells us something, not just about Limonov or Russia, but the story of all of us after the end of World War II."Trade ReviewHe's the best kind of writer, not just a bestseller but a man who is not afraid to leave the comfort zone of his desk, go out into the world, take risks, and get his shoes dirty ... His "non-fiction novel", Limonov, has two explicit modes - part adventure story, part cultural-historical analysis ... it is about Carrère's exploration of himself, his Russian heritage, and what it means to be a European after the second world war, especially since the end of the cold war -- Robert McCrum * Observer *I loved Limonov by Emmanuel Carrère, which happens to be a book about a Russian guy. Like all of Carrère's work it's a sort of masterclass in creative writing -- William Leith, Books of the Year * Evening Standard *Carrère covers a lot of ground with cool honesty and careful humanity -- Sally Singer, Book of the Year * New York Times *A beguiling writer . . . Graceful and important -- John Freeman * NPR *You might not have heard of [Limonov], and after you have read this you might wish you had not heard of him, but you will certainly have enjoyed reading about his life, thanks to the verve of Emmanuel Carrère's exhilarating narration. You will probably also understand considerably more about the country that produced such a narcissistic and controversial figure, whom the author finds alluring and repellent in equal measure . . . Carrère has seized on Limonov's projection of himself as a literary hero (or anti-hero) straight out of the pages of Dostoyevsky, Celine, or Henry Miller, and run with it -- Rosamund Bartlett * Independent *This is an extraordinary, fantastic book about an extraordinary, fantastic life. It's billed as a novel, can be read as a novel and would be a good novel if Eduard Limonov had never existed. But he does . . . you will learn an awful lot about Russia now and in the days of the Soviets -- Allan Massie * Scotsman *Russia, they say, cannot be understood with the mind alone, and neither can her looniest son to date, Edichka Limonov. It also takes a heart, a spleen, a liver and this beautiful book by France's greatest writer, Emmanuel Carrère. Get ready for the last real adventure of the 20th Century! -- Gary Shteyngart, author of Little FailureTo paraphrase Calvino, Emmanuel Carrèrre's Limonov is a book about two things: Limonov, and everything else ... This virtuosically unclassifiable thing is somehow at once the liveliest of novels, the most illuminating of biographies, and the most consequential of philosophical inquiries - a loopy, hilarious, gut-punching quest after the shifting spirits of war, loyalty, discipline, pity, empathy, scorn, vitality, honor, ego, and, above all, the heroism of decency -- Gideon Lewis-Kraus, author of A Sense of DirectionThere are few great writers in France today, and Emmanuel Carrère is one of them * Paris Review *

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Book SynopsisJames Connolly (1868-1916) was one of the leaders in Ireland's quest for freedom from British rule in 1916. This biography is an accurate and well-researched portrayal both of the man and the uprising. Part of the Sixteen Lives series of biographies of all sixteen men executed for their role in the rebellion.

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Book SynopsisOn the night of 14 July, 1976 - Bastille Day - an elderly German was brutally murdered in a little French village where he had taken refuge from the evil shadow which had dogged him for the past thirty-two years. His killers were never brought to justice; indeed, no real attempt was ever made to track them down, the affair being politically embarrassing to both the French and the German governments. The murdered man was Jochen Peiper, once the dashing leader of one of the most renowned units in the German Army. The shadow which hung over him was his alleged complicity in the murder of over seventy unarmed American soldiers during the Ardennes offensive in the winter of 1944/45. It is certain that Peiper was not at the fateful crossroads near Malmedy at the time the men died, but that is not to say that they were not killed on his orders. Guilty or not, Peiper was tried and imprisoned after the war and on his release might have been said to have paid his debt for his supposed part in what had become known as the Malmedy Massacre. But there were those who thought otherwise.After exhaustive research, this classic work sees Charles Whiting tell the story of this enigmatic man, regarded by some as a brilliant and dashing leader of men, by others as a Nazi war criminal, with the vividness and punch which characterized Peiper's military career. All the facts may never be uncovered but all that are known are recorded here. What is certain is that Jochen Peiper remains one of the most controversial miltary figures to emerge from the maelstrom of the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisWhat do Winston Churchill, Rosa Parks, Emile Zola, Billy Beane and Christopher Hitchens have in common? They are all Contrarians. This book is about the people who do not quietly slip into the shadows, who revel in playing devil’s advocate, who zig when everyone else zags and who dare ask the question: ‘Yes, but just supposing that everyone else is wrong?’ They are not always successful all of the time. In fact some are spectacularly unsuccessful on occasions. They may not be popular or easy to live with, but are always interesting and usually inspiring. Some make a point of arguing the opposite point of view on every occasion; some are mainstream on everything, but resolute in opposing the mainstream on one particular issue. For some, the issue which they contest so vigorously becomes mainstream through their exertions. In Compendium of Contrarians, Robert Orr-Ewing shows how he has been inspired by these amusing, challenging, interesting and unusual characters.Trade Review‘An interesting and engaging group of individualists, some famous, some less so, who didn’t necessarily toe the line, but left their mark on history’ - Eleo Carson 'A well chosen selection of some of the most intriguing non conformists down the ages. Moving - and inspiring.' - Danny Danziger

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Book SynopsisThe first book ever written about FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover by a member of his personal staff—his former assistant, Paul Letersky—offers unprecedented, “clear-eyed and compelling” (Mark Olshaker, coauthor of Mindhunter) insight into an American legend.The 1960s and 1970s were arguably among America’s most turbulent post-Civil War decades. While the Vietnam War continued seemingly without end, protests and riots ravaged most cities, the Kennedys and MLK were assassinated, and corruption found its way to the highest levels of politics, culminating in Watergate. In 1965, at the beginning of the chaos, twenty-two-year-old Paul Letersky was assigned to assist the legendary FBI director J. Edgar Hoover who’d just turned seventy and had, by then, led the Bureau for an incredible forty-one years. Hoover was a rare and complex man who walked confidently among the most powerful. His personal privacy was more tightly guarded than the secret “files” he carefully collected—and that were so feared by politicians and celebrities. Through Letersky’s close working relationship with Hoover, and the trust and confidence he gained from Hoover’s most loyal senior assistant, Helen Gandy, Paul became one of the few able to enter the Director’s secretive—and sometimes perilous—world. Since Hoover’s death half a century ago, millions of words have been written about the man and hundreds of hours of TV dramas and A-list Hollywood films produced. But until now, there has been virtually no account from someone who, for a period of years, spent hours with the Director on a daily basis. Balanced, honest, and keenly observed, this “vivid, foibles-and-all portrait of the fabled scourge of gangsters, Klansmen, and communists” (The Wall Street Journal) sheds new light on one of the most powerful law enforcement figures in American history.Trade Review“There has never been an account quite like The Director…Letersky has mined his experience to draw a vivid, foibles-and-all portrait of the fabled scourge of gangsters, Klansmen, and communists.” —Wall Street Journal“[Recounts] Letersky’s years in the FBI’s innermost circles….A fly-on-the-wall portrait of interest to students of crime—and rumor.” —Kirkus Reviews“A fascinating and long overdue look, from the inner sanctum, at J. Edgar Hoover’s decades-spanning dictatorial grip on the FBI. Paul Letersky takes you deep inside the psyche of the man who knew all the secrets and played them like a card shark. With a fistful of aces, Hoover imposed his will while protecting his own mysterious inner life.” —Tom Brokaw, Special Correspondent for NBC News and bestselling author of The Greatest Generation“There have been plenty of books about J. Edgar Hoover but this one brings new meaning to the term, ‘the devil is in the details’…. Letersky is a fine writer and storyteller and he told me things I never knew about the man—love him or hate him—who was a major figure in American history.” —Bob Schieffer, CBS News“Fascinating and engaging… Letersky brings to life a bygone era of G-Men, galoots, and molls—and, delightfully, Hoover's motherly gatekeeper “Miss Gandy,” who plays Moneypenny to the author's Bond.” —Chris Whipple, New York Times bestselling author of The Gatekeepers and The Spymasters“I have been writing about the FBI for a quarter century, and as a kid I even trick-or-treated at J. Edgar Hoover’s house. Even so, I discovered in former Special Agent Paul Letersky’s The Director new and fascinating insights...Neither a paean nor a hatchet job, this clear-eyed and compelling account of the author’s years with the director, followed by his adventures as a street agent, is a welcome contribution to the history of law enforcement and the culture of its most famous agency.” —Mark Olshaker, coauthor of Mindhunter, The Killer Across the Table, and The Killer’s Shadow“I entered the FBI under Mr. Hoover who turned out to be the best Director I served under in my twenty-seven years at the Bureau. This book is an honest and accurate portrayal of Hoover's personality and acts of kindness as well as the control he had over not just the FBI but politicians. A must read.” —Joe Pistone aka Donnie Brasco, former FBI Special Agent“Folksy and fascinating. Letersky had unusual personal access to Hoover and he documents many of his boss’ worst instincts and rigid eccentricities, but also debunks some of the pointless and nasty rumors.” —Sanford J. Ungar, former Director of Voice of America and host of “All Things Considered,” and author of FBI: An Uncensored Look Behind the Walls“For a span of decades that defies belief, J. Edgar Hoover wielded more power than any other lawman in American history. Paul Letersky’s rich eyewitness stories of a supercop who could be both steel-fisted and strangely soft makes this by far the most illuminating portrait of Hoover I’ve read.” —Don Brown, former prosecutor and bestselling author of Travesty of Justice“Though I worked for the FBI for a quarter century, I found many of the things Letersky talks about in The Director shockingly new, simply because no one dared speak them until now. The book rounds out what we know about J. Edgar Hoover. Yes, he was demanding, odd at times, secretive, and vindictive, but he was far more complex than most people imagine. Only could a person working by his side, who answered his phone and read his mail and dealt with his fits of pique and bursts of enthusiasm, give us this insight.” —Joe Navarro, former Special Agent and author of Three Minutes to Doomsday“Letersky draws back the curtain of history to offer a rare, cinematic glimpse into the psychology and motivation of the Bureau’s first Director, J. Edgar Hoover….A must read for anyone interested in the most celebrated of American law enforcement agencies.” —Robert K. Wittman, Founder of the FBI Art Crime Team and New York Times bestselling author of Priceless and The Devil’s Diary“Anyone interested in American history will find fascinating what the book reveals about ‘The Director’ and his agents. As a former member of Special Operations who learned to make maximum use of intel, I found entertaining what Letersky shows about the power of secrets.” —Tom Satterly, author of All Secure and, also, retired Delta Force operator whose life was portrayed in Black Hawk Down

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Book SynopsisThis book investigates the life and world of Bede (c. 673-735), foremost scholar of the early Middle Ages and 'the father of English history'. It examines his notable feats, including calculating the first tide-tables; playing a role in the creation of the Ceolfrith Bibles and the Lindisfarne Gospels; writing the earliest extant Old English poetry and the earliest translation of part of the Bible into English; and composing his famous Ecclesiastical History of the English People, with its single dating system. Despite never leaving Northumbria, Bede also wrote a guide to the Holy Land. Michelle P. Brown, an authority on the period, describes new discoveries regarding Bede's handwriting, his research programme and his previously lost Old English translation of St John's Gospel, dictated on his deathbed.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Boyhood and Monkwearmouth-Jarrow 2. Bede the Monk and Priest 3. Bede the Scholar and Scientist: Cosmos and Logos 4. Bede, Poetry and the Origins of Written English 5. Bede the English Patristic 6. Bede the Historian and Reformer 7. Bede the Scribe of Scripture and the Ceolfrith Bibles 8. Bede and Lindisfarne 9. Bede and His Legacy Appendix: Bede's CV References Bibliography Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements Index

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Book Synopsis'Absolutely gripping from the word go' Alexis Conran, Times Radio'A convincing insight into the terror and adrenaline rush of war' Mail on SundayDamien Lewis's new bestseller tells the action-packed, riveting story of the band of mavericks and visionaries who made the SAS. Using hitherto untold stories and new archival sources, Damien Lewis follows one close-knit band of warriors from the SAS foundation through to the Italian landings - chronicling the extraordinary part they played as the tide of the Second World War truly turned in the Allies' favour.This is a narrative of wall-to-wall do-or-die action and daring, chronicling the exploits of some of the most highly-decorated soldiers of the twentieth-century.'A new book by historian Damien Lewis ... who has read through the letters, diaries and reports kept by the Mayne family and conducted interviews with its surviving members over the past ten years' Danielle Sheridan, Daily Telegraph'Read more about the characters as seen in SAS Rogue Heroes in Damien Lewis's book SAS Brothers In Arms' Ed Cullinane, SWNS'Damien Lewis, bestselling author, describes the extraordinary bravery of Paddy Mayne and, it seems strange to say, the humanity of Mayne ... Brilliant' Nihal Arthanayake, BBC Radio 5 Live'The depth of research is astounding'Belfast TelegraphTrade ReviewAbsolutely gripping from the word go -- Alexis Conran, Times RadioA convincing insight into the terror and adrenaline rush of war * Mail on Sunday *A new book by historian Damien Lewis ... who has read through the letters, diaries and reports kept by the Mayne family and conducted interviews with its surviving members over the past ten years -- Danielle Sheridan * Daily Telegraph *Read more about the characters as seen in SAS Rogue Heroes in Damien Lewis's book SAS Brothers In Arms -- Ed Cullinane, SWNSDamien Lewis, bestselling author, describes the extraordinary bravery of Paddy Mayne and, it seems strange to say, the humanity of Mayne ... Brilliant

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Book Synopsis'A perfect mirror to its subject... should be compulsory reading' ObserverVladimir Putin is a pariah to the West.He has the power to reduce the West to nuclear ashes. He invades his neighbours, meddles in western elections and orders assassinations. His regime is autocratic and corrupt. Yet many Russians continue to support him. Under Putin's leadership, Russia has once again become a force to be reckoned with.Philip Short's magisterial biography explores in unprecedented depth the personality of Russia's leader and demolishes many of our preconceptions about Putin's Russia.To explain is not to justify. Putin's regime is dark. But on closer examination, much of what we think we know about him turns out to rest on half-truths. This book is as close as we will come to understanding Russia's ruler.'Short's pushback against lazy, convenient myth-making is refreshing' The Times'Elegantly written and pacy' Financial Times 'Extensively covers the dark moments of Putin's career.... The Putin of Short's book is not someone you would invite to dinner' New York TimesTrade ReviewMagisterial... based on access to a Who's Who of senior politicians, diplomats and intelligence sources. * Guardian *An exhaustive profile * Daily Telegraph, *Books of the Year* *Exceptional... unlikely to be matched as a study of the man... It is readable, judicious, critical but balanced and focused on Putin the person rather than on the Putin regime * The Irish Times *[A] revealing and compellingly granular biography * Times Literary Supplement *Anyone wanting to learn more about Putin's personality, ideas, power and the threat he has come to pose to world peace should read this outstanding biography -- Ian Kershaw

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Book SynopsisPulitzer Prize­–winning reporter and dean of Trumpologists David Cay Johnston reveals years of eye-popping financial misdeeds by Donald Trump and his family.While the world watched Donald Trump’s presidency in horror or delight, few noticed that his lifelong grifting quietly continued. Less than forty minutes after taking the oath of office, Trump began turning the White House into a money machine for himself, his family, and his courtiers. More than $1.7 billion flowed into Donald Trump’s bank accounts during his four years as president. Foreign governments rented out whole floors of his hotel five blocks from the White House while lobbyists conducted business in the hotel’s restaurants. Payday lenders and other trade groups moved their annual conventions to Trump golf resorts. And individual favor seekers joined his private Mar-a-Lago club with its $200,000 admission fee in hopes of getting a few minutes with the President. Despite earning more than $1 million every day he was in office, Trump left the White House as he arrived—hard up for cash. More than $400 million in debt comes due by 2024, and Trump still lacks the resources to pay it back. “Few people are as well positioned to write an exposé of the former president as Johnston” (The Washington Post), and The Big Cheat offers a guided tour of how money flowed in and out of Trump’s hundreds of enterprises, showing in simple terms how a corrupt president used our government for his benefit, even putting national security at risk. Johnston details the four most recent years of the corruption that has defined the Trump family since 1885 and reveals the costs of Trump’s extravagant lifestyle for American taxpayers.Trade Review"We know more than ever why Trump should not have been president and why he or any of his minions cannot be president of this democracy again. Johnston’s book is filled with amazing research." * Eugene Weekly *"The Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and longtime Trump-watcher Johnston delivers enough charges to fuel a few hundred indictments. . . . Johnston assembles a case that’s full of news and startling incidents. . . . Those inclined to despise Trump and Trumpism will find ample reinforcement." * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *"A devastating roundup of malfeasance." * Publishers Weekly *“Few people are as well positioned to write an exposé of the former president as Johnston. . . . The Big Cheat is a guided tour of the Trump circus in 18 colorful vignettes. . . . A good book, full of old-fashioned reporting based on original sources and primary documents, colorfully written and convincingly argued.” -- James Kwak * The Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisHailed as 'the greatest biography of our era' (The Times) this is the fourth part of Robert Caro's multi-award-winning best-selling work on American President Lyndon Johnson.The Passage of Power, 'the series' crowning volume' (Economist), spans the years 1958 to 1964, arguably the most crucial years in the life of Johnson and pivotal years for American history. This era saw some of the most frustrating moments of Johnson's career, but also some of his most triumphant. His battle with the Kennedy brothers over the 1960 Democratic nomination for president was a bitter one, and the ensuing years of Johnson's vice-presidency were marked with humiliation. But, thrust into power following the assassination of J. F. Kennedy, Johnson grasped the presidential role with unprecedented skill. Caro also provides a fresh perspective on Kennedy’s assassination from Johnson's viewpoint, and penetrates deep into what it was like for him to assume a position of such power at a time of national crisis. The Passage of Power documents Johnson's extraordinary early presidency, forcing previously abandoned bills on the budget and civil rights through an uncooperative Congress and striving to achieve what he saw to be the highest standard of office.In The Years of Lyndon Johnson, Caro shows a delicacy of touch and a profoundness of insight into the state of a nation under the hand of a political master. Collectively these volumes constitute a major history of America in the first three-quarters of the twentieth century.Trade ReviewMonumental… For many politicians it is the finest book on politics… Magnificent…the tension between the fraud and ruthlessness that repulsed political liberals and the reaction of voters to whom he delivered, make Caro’s book the ultimate political story -- Daniel Finklestein * The Times *This extraordinary work will remain essential reading for decades to come -- Richard Lambert * Financial Times *A true story of huge personalities, bloody assassinations, loves, hatreds and betrayals (and the Kennedy family) that renders it by turns gripping, sensational and immensely depressing… A white-knuckle rollercoaster ride… Magisterial -- Andrew Roberts * Telegraph *A work of pure genius -- Steve Akehurst * Huffington Post UK *A work of greatness, of such acute observation of politics that its insights are applicable far beyond [its] time and place * Independent *Caro’s strength as a biographer is his ability to probe Johnson’s mind and motivations… Riveting… A rollercoaster tale * The Economist *Brilliant... Important... Remarkable... With this fascinating and meticulous account of Lyndon Johnson, Robert Caro has once again done America a great service -- Bill Clinton * New York Times Book Review *As riveting as a thriller… The next book will crown an achievement in presidential biography unmatched among presidential histories -- David Hendricks * Houston Chronicle *Caro sets the gold standard for modern political biography ... we can only hope we are fortunate enough to see this monumental work reach its long-awaited conclusion -- Tim Soutphommasane * New Statesman *One of the most ambitious single-handed literary enterprises in our time -- James M. Murphy * TLS *Long live Robert Caro… Truly epic political history and character study… Riveting…it elevates Caro’s tale to Shakespearean drama, as the coldhearted, Machiavellian maneuvering and hot-blooded rivalries of supremely ambitious men play out the fate of the free world at stake -- Dan DeLuca * Philadelphia Inquirer *A tremendous story, bursting with colour and character…the sheer wealth of political details keeps you turning the pages…gargantuan but brilliant -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *It is not often that I have muttered, “Astonishing”, to myself as I close a book. But I see what people were on about now. Caro is a brilliant narrator of recent history… It is a work of greatness, of such acute observation of politics that its insights are applicable far beyond the time and place of the United States, 1960-64 -- John Rentoul * Independent *Riveting reading from beginning to end... The real tour de force in this stunning mix of political and psychological analysis comes in the account of the transition between administrations... An utterly fascinating character study, brimming with delicious insider stories... Unquestionably, one of the truly big books of the year * Booklist (starred review) *An addictive read, written in glorious prose that suggests the world’s most diligent beat reporter channeling William Faulkner. Passage is an essential document of a turning point in American history. It’s also an incisive portrait of one great, terrible fascinating man suddenly given the chance to reinvent the country in his image -- Darren Franich * Entertainment Weekly *My book of the year, by a landslide majority... Caro marries profound psychological insight with a brilliant eye for the drama of the times -- Robert Harris * Guardian *A breathtakingly dramatic story [told] with consummate artistry and ardor... It showcases Mr Caro's masterly gifts as a writer: his propulsive sense of narrative, his talent for enabling readers to see and feel history in the making and his ability to situate his subjects’ actions within the context of their times… Taken together the installments of Mr Caro’s monumental life of Johnson so far not only create a minutely detailed picture of an immensely complicated and conflicted individual, but they also form a revealing prism by which to view the better part of a century in description of Johnson – and those of John and Robert Kennedy – have novelistic depth and amplitude… Mr Caro uses his storytelling gifts to turn seemingly arcane legislative maneuvers into action-movie suspense, and he gives us unparalleled understanding…of how Johnson used a crisis and his own political acumen to implement his agenda with stunning speed… Engrossing -- Michiko Kakutani * New York Times *It is the mismatch between Johnson’s fate prior to the assassination and his fate in its aftermath that gives this book, the fourth volume of Caro’s monumental biography, its compelling but also unfathomable flavor… Caro’s account of the day of the assassination… is a magnificent piece of writing. What might have seemed familiar becomes startlingly fresh, because it is seen from the perspective of the man whose destiny suddenly came back into focus as the world of those around him was falling apart. -- David Runciman * London Review of Books *Riveting... Shakespearean... It’s a rollercoaster narrative as Johnson plummets from the powerful Senate majority leader post to vice-presidential irrelevance, hated and humiliated by the Kennedy brothers, then surges to presidential authority with the crack of Lee Harvey Oswald’s rifle and forces a revolutionary civil rights act through a recalcitrant Congress... Caro’s tormented, heroic Johnson makes an apt embodiment of an America struggling toward epochal change, one with a fascinating resonance in our era of gridlocked government * Publisher's Weekly (starred review) *Caro has once again shown that he might well be the greatest presidential historian we’ve ever had… Although the amount of research Caro has done for these books is staggering, it’s his immense talent as a writer that has made his biography of Johnson one of America’s most amazing literary achievements… Caro’s portrayal of the president is as scrupulously fair as it is passionate and deeply felt… The series is a masterpiece, unlike any other work of American history published in the past. It’s true that there will never be another Lyndon B. Johnson, but there will never be another Robert A. Caro, either. By writing the best presidential biography the country has ever seen, he’s forever changed the way we think, and read, American history -- Michael Schaub * NPR *The years of Lyndon Johnson, when completed, will rank as America’s most ambitiously conceived, assiduously researched and compulsively readable political biography… When Caro’s fifth volume arrives, reader’s gratitude will be exceeded only by their regret that there will not be a sixth -- George F. WillA great work of history… A great biography… Caro has summoned Lyndon Johnson to vivid, intimate life * Newsweek *The fourth volume of one of the most anticipated English-language biographies of the past 30 years... A compelling narrative...that will thrill those who care about American politics, the foundations of power, or both * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *Political biography of the highest quality… An unmatched psychological portrait of Johnson as John F. Kennedy’s assassination catapults him into the presidency -- Tony Barber * Financial Times *Robert Caro’s biography of Lyndon Johnson is said to be on William Hague, George Osborne and Jeremy Hunt’s summer reading list * Guardian *This book shows the mastery of Johnson in politics, and also the mastery of Caro in biography -- David M. Shribman * Bloomberg/BusinessWeek *A great and occasionally astonishing biography -- John R MacArthur * Spectator *One of the greatest biographies in the history of American letters -- Bob Hoover * Cleveland Plain Dealer *The latest in what is almost without question the greatest political biography in modern times… Nobody goes deeper, works harder or produces more penetrating insights than [Caro] -- Patrick Beach * Austin American-Statesman *A major event in biography, history, even publishing itself… Caro has once more combined prodigious research and a literary gift to mount a stage for his Shakespearean figures: LBJ, JFK, LBJ’s nemesis Robert F. Kennedy * Library Journal (Starred) *A masterly how-to manual, showing Johnson’s knowledge of governing, his peerless congressional maneuvering and effective deal-making. The Years of Lyndon Johnson is a compact library: brilliant biography, gripping history, searing political drama and an incomparable study of power. It’s also a great read… And, after thousands of pages spent with Lyndon Johnson, one of Caro’s singular achievements is that you want more -- Peter Gianotti * Newsday *Brilliant… Riveting reading from beginning to end… The real tour de force in this stunning mix of political and psychological analysis comes in the account of the transition between administrations, from November 23 1963 to January 8, 1964… An utterly fascinating character study, brimming with delicious insider stories… Political wonks, of course, will dive into this book with unbridled passion, but its focus on a larger-than-life, flawed but fascinating individual – the kind of character who drives epic fiction – should extend its reach much, much further. Unquestionably, one of the truly big books of the year * Booklist (Starred) *The series’ crowning volume * The Economist *This pile-driving book has all the ingredients of a great drama, the humiliating childhood breeding a lifelong desire (to be president), the failure (to gain the Democratic nomination), the humiliation (almost constant, by JF Kennedy) the sudden change of fate (the assassination), and the vindication (when Johnson drives through key bills that Kennedy couldn’t, and proves himself the most astute of politicians). Totally compelling -- Biography of the year * Sunday Times Ireland *It is an extraordinary story of a deeply flawed character, told with such verve, such command of the facts, and such an understanding of power -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *A major work of history and biography -- Annie Proulx * Guardian *The fourth installation of Caro’s masterwork came out this year and, cheeringly, there is no slackening of plot or pace -- Kathryn Hughes * Guardian *It is a profound portrait of two men, Johnson and John F. Kennedy, and the relationship between them -- Sarah Stands * Evening Standard *A fascinating story, Shakespearean in its passion and fury, as well as darkly comical -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *This pile-driving book has all the ingredients of a great drama, the humiliating childhood breeding a lifelong desire (to be president), the failure (to gain the Democratic nomination), the humiliation (almost constant, by J. F. Kennedy) the sudden change of fate (the assassination), and the vindication (when Johnson drives through key bills that Kennedy couldn’t, and proves himself the most astute of politicians). Totally compelling * Sunday Times Ireland *The fourth volume of Caro’s magisterial work spans the five years that end shortly after Kennedy’s assassination, as Johnson prepares to push for a civil rights * New York Times *A meticulous dissection of political and economic structures in the US… a riveting read by one of the modern masters of historical writing * Morning Star *

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

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Book SynopsisThe unsung and remarkable stories of the women who held London''s East End together during not one, but two world wars.''Inspiring tales of courage in the face of hardship'' Mail on Sunday''Inspiring . . . Takes you back to a time of community and helping one another'' 5***** Reader Review''It made me laugh and gasp in equal measure'' 5***** Reader Review______Meet Minksy, Gladys, Beatty, Joan and Girl Walker . . .While the men were at war, these women ruled the streets of the East End. Struggling against poverty to survive, and fighting for their community in our country''s darkest hours.But there was also joy to be found. Across the East End the streets were alive - you need only walk a few steps for a smile from a neighbour or a strong cup of tea.From taking over the London Underground, standing up to the Kray twins and crawling out of bombsites, The Stepney Doorstep SocietyTrade ReviewThe remarkable story of the women who ruled the East End through the Blitz. A lively authentic social history, the book centres around five formidable working-class women . . . a hair-raising, but always warmhearted tale * My Weekly *Kate Thompson's interviews with east London's wartime matriarchs offer an important glimpse into a vanishing world * Sunday Express *Kate Thompson writes books that make you laugh and make you cry, sometimes at the same time. You cannot put them down. I advise you to read them all! -- Anita DobsonKate Thompson's study of five working-class women who lived through the blitz shows how informal collectives can provide lasting support and inspiration . . . [a] fascinating account * Guardian *Inspiring tales of courage in the face of hardship * Mail on Sunday *Astonishing * Radio 5 Live *Crammed full of fascinating stories * BBC 2 Steve Wright *Untold stories from wartime Blitz * Woman's Weekly *Britain's forgotten army * Daily Express *Celebrates the lives of tough wartime matriarchs * ITV News *Formidable women * Take a Break *

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Book SynopsisYou can boldly take me in the arms of your soul and kiss my mouth, my head, and my feet as sweetly as you want   The story of the eventful and controversial life of Margery Kempe - wife, mother, businesswoman, pilgrim and visionary - is the earliest surviving autobiography in English. Here Kemp recounts in vivid, unembarrassed detail the madness that followed the birth of the first of her fourteen children, the failure of her brewery business, her dramatic call to the spiritual life, her visions and uncontrollable tears, the struggle to convert her husband to a vow of chastity and her pilgrimages to Europe and the Holy Land. Margery Kempe could not read or write, and dictated her remarkable story late in life. It remains an extraordinary record of human faith and a portrait of a medieval woman of unforgettable character and courage.   For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.Table of ContentsThe Book of Magery KempeIntroductionSuggested Chronology of the Life of Margery KempeThe Book of Margery KempeNotesFurther Reading

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Book SynopsisAlthough we are acquainted with the music of J. S. Bach through countless performances and recordings, the composer himself continues to come across as the somewhat enigmatic figure depicted in a single, familiar portrait. Published in 2000 to mark the 250th anniversary of Bach''s death, author and leading Bach scholar Christoph Wolff presents a new picture that brings to life this towering figure of the Baroque era. Now available in paperback, this engaging biography portrays Bach as the living, breathing--and sometimes imperfect--human being that he was, while bringing to bear all the advances gained in the last half-century of Bach scholarship. Wolff demonstrates the intimate connection between the composer''s life and his music, showing how Bach''s superb inventiveness pervaded his career as a musician, composer, performer, scholar, and teacher. And throughout, we see Bach in the broader context of his time: its institutions, traditions, and influences. With this highly readable boTrade Revieweminently readable, at times even colloquial. Wolff is one of the foremost Bach scholars today, and his comprehensive knowledge of the source materials equips him admirably to write such a book ... all sorts of interesting details emerge. * John Kitchen, Early Music Today, Oct.-Nov. 2000 *Drawing on a lifetime's involvement with Bach's music, Professor Wolff has written what is undoubtedly the most authorative and up-to-date survey of the composer's life and works in English, and probably in any language. * Malcolm Boyd, The Gramophone *Musical biographies don't come much better than this ... no-one seriously interested in Bach should pass it by. * Bettina Neumann, Piano, July-Aug 2000 *this is a learned and satisfying account of Bach's work, temperament and milieu which will disappoint neither specialist nor general music lover. * Nicholas Anderson, BBC Music Magazine *Table of ContentsLIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS; PREFACE; PROLOGUE: BACH AND THE NOTION OF "MUSICAL SCIENCE"; EPILOGUE: BACH AND THE IDEA OF "MUSICAL PERFECTION"; NOTES; MUSIC EXAMPLES; 1. CHRONOLOGY; BIBLIOGRAPHY; GENRE INDEX OF BACH'S WORKS; TITLE INDEX OF BACH'S WORKS; GENERAL INDEX

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Book SynopsisJohn Richardson was born in London in 1924. He studied art at the Slade School but soon gave up painting for art criticism. In 1949 he moved to France, where befriended Picasso, Braque, Léger, and Cocteau. The first volume of his magisterial four-volume A Life of Picasso won the Whitbread Prize in 1991. He was also the author of the memoir, The Sorcerer's Apprentice; an essay collection, Sacred Monsters, Sacred Masters; and books on Manet and Braque. He wrote for the New York Review of Books, New Yorker and Vanity Fair. He was made a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy in 1993, and served as the Slade Professor of Fine Art at Oxford University from 1995 to 1996. He died in 2019.Trade ReviewClever, amusing, flamboyant and outrageous... Even incomplete, this is Richardson's masterpiece. * The Times, *Books of the Year* *Richardson's monumental biography...comes at you like a roar... As biographer, Richardson is clever, amusing, flamboyant, outrageous - a worthy match for his subject... Even incomplete, this is Richardson's masterpiece. -- Laura Freeman * The Times *Magnificent, unparalleled... How [Volume IV] manages to be as gripping as it is, as fresh as it is, only the gods of art can answer... Richardson is both an intimate witness and a ravenous historian... No one will ever again be able to combine Richardson's personal familiarity with Picasso with such impressive levels of history, insight, detail, gossip and breezy writing. The greatest art biography ever written can never have a proper ending. It's an incomplete masterpiece. But a masterpiece nevertheless. -- Waldemar Januszczak * Sunday Times *What a magnificent resource this four-volume biography is, unfinished...yet unrivalled in its blend of erudition and gossipy insights. * Financial Times, *Books of the Year* *Magisterial... What has always made Richardson's biographical work on Picasso so alive is the fact of his personal friendship with the artist. It is thrilling to read a narrative in which scholarly prose is regularly interrupted with the phrase "Picasso once told me ... " followed by an entirely fresh anecdote... How lucky we are...that Richardson lived long enough to get this far. -- Kathryn Hughes * Guardian *One of the great biographical enterprises of our times. * New Statesman, *The Best Books of 2022 So Far* *Terrifically enjoyable... irresistible. -- Alastair Sooke * Daily Telegraph *No previous biographer of Picasso has commanded such detail, range and depth when dealing with this unendingly inventive and ferociously experimental artist. This fourth volume...reflects Richardson's gift for merging the personal with the professional. * Literary Review *Gripping, highly readable and thoughtfully illustrated... It's hard to imagine that he could be bettered as our guide in the labyrinth of the minotaur. -- Stephen Smith * Financial Times *Enlivened by...anecdotal intimacy... Richardson...has ingeniously deciphered the art without demystifying the artist. -- Peter Conrad * Observer *Every page carries an entertaining story or a fascinating gobbet of artistic gossip. -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *A fluent writer with a gift for narrative and a sensitive ability to read the artist's work in relation to his life... The decade covered in this volume, which turns on Picasso's identification with the part-beast, part-man mythical Minotaur, is a tumultuous one, both in public and in private life... [it is] deftly presented as Richardson moves from the man to his circle to his art to larger historical events. -- Siri Hustvedt * New York Times Book Review *Personal and political collide in lively fourth volume of detailed biography... The Minotaur Years retells what might be considered a familiar story, but carries it off with a liveliness generated by short chapters, sharp judgements and occasionally waspish dismissals, all dispatched at pace. It is the fruit of 60 years of thinking, conversing and speculating about the artist, underpinned by detailed looking, research and investigation of his movements moment by moment. -- Matthew Gale * The Art Newspaper *[Richardson] set the standard for modern artists' biographies...The fourth and final volume...is a worthy follow-up to its predecessors... just as rich, just as astounding. -- Sebastian Smee * Washington Post *The final chapter of a magisterial biography... The author's unique, extensive knowledge and insider information about Picasso - both the man and artist - informs insightful explications of the nuances and symbolism in Picasso's works... A masterful accomplishment. * Kirkus Reviews *Monumental... Nobody has brought us closer [than Richardson] to understanding this extraordinary and complex artist. -- Miranda France * Prospect *[A] magisterial work... superbly illustrated. -- Nicky Haslam * Oldie *[A] magisterial and superbly illustrated biography. -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * Daily Mail, *Book of the Week* *Monumental... This uncompleted project will surely be the Ozymandias of all biographies, since Richardson's talents were uniquely matched to his protean subject. -- Fram Dinshaw * Catholic Herald *Wonderfully lively, greatly informative and memorably insightful... a great read. -- Alexander Adams * Jackdaw *

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Book Synopsis'Stunning... Weir has brought those five queens to life like never before. I just raced through it - it has all the drama and suspense of a novel' Tracy BormanCrusading queens, queens in rebellion against their king, queen seductresses, learned queens, queens in battle - the Plantagenet queens broke through medieval constraints to exercise power and influence, for good and sometimes for ill. Beginning with the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine whose marriage to Henry II sows the seeds for some of the most destructive family conflicts in history and ending with Eleanor of Castile, the grasping but beloved wife of Edward I, Alison Weir's ground-breaking history of the queens of medieval England provides an enthralling new perspective on a dramatic period of high romance and sometimes low politics, with determined women at its heart.Trade ReviewStunning... [Weir has] brought those five queens to life like never before. I just raced through it - it has all the drama and suspense of a novel. -- Tracy Borman[A] historian who has achieved popularity without sacrificing scholarly precision... She writes with the dramatic intensity of a novelist. -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times *The book that I most anticipated this year was Alison Weir's Queens of the Crusades... Told with all of Weir's characteristic verve and exceptional eye for detail, this book should find its way into every history lover's Christmas stocking. -- Tracy Borman * BBC History Magazine *Books of the Year 2020* *As in previous books, the exceedingly knowledgeable author's prodigious research is impressive. Another treat for Weir fans. * Kirkus Reviews *This meticulous group biography of the first five Plantagenet queens of England brushes away long-standing legends. Weir skillfully documents the political, religious, and cultural issues of medieval England and France. * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisMarylebone has been home to its fair share of rogues, villains and eccentrics, and their stories are told here. The authors also want to remind the reader that alongside the glamour of Society, there has also been hardship and squalor in the parish, as was graphically illustrated in Charles Booth's poverty maps of London in 1889.Over the past 10 years the Marylebone Journal has printed historical essays on the people, places, and events that have helped shape the character of the area. Some are commemorated with a blue plaque, but many are not. This is not a check-list of the grandees of Marylebone, though plenty appear in these pages.The essays have been grouped into themes of: history, politicians and warriors, culture and sport (from pop music and television to high art), love and marriage (stories from romance to acrimonious divorce), criminals, science and medicine, buildings and places, and the mad bad and dangerous to know ‒ those whose stories don't fit a convenient box but are too good not to tell.Table of Contents INTRODUCTION A brief history of Marylebone POLITICIANS & WARRIORS Edwin James, the dishonourable member Leo Marks and the code wars The lonely demise of Benedict Arnold The very model of a modern major general Profile: Earl Charles Stanhope (1753-1816) Profile: Talleyrand (1754-1838) Profile: William Pitt the Younger (1759-1806) Profile: Lord George Bentinck (1802-1848) Profile: Earl Frederick Sleigh Roberts (1832-1914) Profile: Emily Faithfull (1835–1895) Profile: Emma Cons (1838-1912) CULTURE & SPORT John Ruskin's tea shop The tragi-comedy of Edward Lear The bitter end of Anthony Trollope Wilkie Collins: Marylebone man The ghost of Sarah Siddons The Hollywood tale of Edgar Wallace The urban idyll of Patrick Lichfield George Stubbs and the equine obsession James Figg, king of Marylebone Plains Thomas Lord and the MCC Profile: Arthur Wing Pinero (1855-1934) Profile: John Buchan (1875-1940) Profile: Douglas Jardine (1900-1958) Profile: Edward R Murrow (1908-1965) Profile: Victor Weisz (1913-1966) Profile: Kenneth Williams (1926-88) Profile: Jacqueline Du Pré (1945-1987) LOVE & MARRIAGE The Barrett-Browning story St Marylebone: for better, for worse The mismatches of St Mary's The public undoing of Mrs Mary Evans The Earl of Orkney and the burlesque dancer The old lady and her Buttons The scandalous life of Lady Jane Digby The Wallace Collection's dirty laundry The loveless marriage of Edward James CRIMES & MISDEMEANOURS The revolution at Cato Street The Great London Diamond Robbery of 1871 The public destruction of Dr Stephen Ward Jacob Henriques and the body in the barrel The lady thief of Portman Square The memoirs of a Marylebone judge Viscount Galway and the gambling den The US ambassador's deception The suspicious death of Dr Gordon Ley SCIENCE & MEDICINE A brief history of Harley Street Dr Allinson's big mouth Sydney Ringer's heartfelt solution Dr Hunter's miracle cure The US dentist and the British smile The medical men of Wimpole Street Dr Richardson and the awkward bequest The eccentric genius of Charles Babbage Profile: Sir Francis Beaufort (1774-1857) Profile: Charles Lyell (1797-1875) Profile: Mary Seacole (1805-1881) Profile: Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) MAD, BAD & DANGEROUS TO KNOW The death of St George Henry Lowther Lady Mary Jeune, the real Lady Bracknell William Wellesley's final humiliation The strange legacy of Joanna Southcott The distinguished failure of Francis of Teck The horse banquet at the Langham Hotel The green door of Reverend and Mrs Haweis The Baker Street mad dog Ye Ancient Order of Froth Blowers The ladies of Lower Jerome Place Debenham & Freebody v Alfred Mellon BUILDINGS & PLACES The genius of John Nash The architects' architecture Marylebone's garden squares The parks and gardens of Marylebone The mystery of the Fitzpatrick Mausoleum The rise and fall of Marylebone station John Castles and Grotto Passage The Marylebone street fight The workhouse of St Marylebone Profile: Alfred Waterhouse (1830-1905) Index

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Book SynopsisEnid Lindeman stopped traffic in Manhattan, silenced gamblers in Monte Carlo and walked her pet cheetah through Hyde Park on a diamond collar. In early twentieth-century society, where women were expected to be demure and obedient, she gallivanted through life accumulating four husbands and numerous lovers, her high-jinks fascinating British gossip columnists during the inter-war years.She drove an ambulance in World War I and hid escaped Allied airmen behind enemy lines in World War II, played bridge with Somerset Maugham and entertained Hollywood royalty in the world's most expensive private home on the Riviera, allegedly won in a game of cards. Enid bedazzled men with her beauty, outlived four husbands - two shipping magnates, a war hero and a larger-than-life Irish Earl - spent two great fortunes and earned the nickname 'Lady Killmore'. From Sydney to New York, London to Paris and Cairo to Kenya, Robert Wainwright's biography restores the remarkable Enid to thrilling, vivid life.Trade ReviewMy jaw kept dropping as I devoured Robert Wainwright's wonderfully racy biography, full of comedy and tragedy and populated by some of the most dissolute and eccentric aristocrats of the 20th century. -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * Daily Mail *A gem of a biography. * The Lady *Enid's story is dazzling and uplifting, and she certainly lived up to her code: "Never be afraid, never be jealous, and never complain when you are ill." -- Christopher Silvester * Spears *As social history Sheila Chisholm's life is fascinating... it's undeniably enjoyable to read of all that glitter and gold. -- Selina Hastings * The Spectator on SHEILA *A marvelously entertaining story that at times resembles a glossy television period drama. * Daily Express, on SHEILA *A sensational look at how a country girl became a city socialite... a rip-roaring biography. * Marie Claire, on SHEILA *The charm of Wainwright's biography is that he makes us see what an engaging, admirable and sometimes heroic quality it is to be a life-enhancer like Sheila. -- Jane Shilling * Daily Mail on SHEILA *Sparkling... an eminently readable and lively account of a woman who, in many ways, epitomised the glamour and style of the Jazz Age. * Country Life, on SHEILA *Nothing short of impressive... Wainwright has revived a legend. * The Lady, on SHEILA *A seductively antipodean Auntie Mame. * The Times, on SHEILA *Table of Contents1: Cawarra 2: An independent spirit 3: Letter from America 4: A birth and a death 5: Europe bound 6: The transformation 7: Caviar Cavendish 8: The company of men 9: A father and a secret 10: Marmaduke 11: 'He laid the world at my feet' 12: Champagny lordy 13: A jungle romance 14: Crashing the gilded halls 15: The sting 16: An ultimatum 17: La Fiorentina 18: Looking-glass world 19: Riviera refugees 20: Resistance 21: Where there's a will . . . 22: The fairy queen of Lees Place 23: The storekeeper's daughter 24: The excessively large gentleman 25: The touch of death 26: The newsprint knight 27: The waiting game 28: A lie laid bare 29: From the rubble 30: Australia 31: 'Did I really kill them all?' 32: The unflappable hostess 33: Baron of Waterpark 34: A new adventure beckons 35: The racing game 36: Home

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Book SynopsisOver 50 empowering speeches celebrating women in their own words through extracts and commissioned illustrations, spanning throughout history up to the modern day. Table of ContentsIntroductionElizabeth I, On the Spanish Armada, 1588Fanny Wright, Of Free Inquiry Considered as a Means for Obtaining Just Knowledge, 1829Maria Stewart, Farewell Address, 1833Angelina Grimke, Anti-Slavery Speech, 1838Sojourner Truth, Ain't I A Woman?, 1851Victoria Woodhull, The Principles of Social Freedom, 1871Sarah Winnemucca, Indian Affairs Statement, 1884Elizabeth Cady Stanton, The Solitude of Self, 1892Mary Church Terrell, What it Means to be Colored in the Capital of the United States, 1906Ida B. Wells, This Awful Slaughter, 1909Countess Markievicz, Women, Ideals and the Nation, 1909Marie Curie, Nobel Prize Lecture: Radium and the New Concepts in Chemistry, 1911Emmeline Pankhurst, Freedom or Death, 1913Nellie McClung, Should Men Vote?, 1914Jutta Bojsen-Moller, Victory for Votes, 1915Emma Goldman, Address to the Jury, 1917Nancy Astor, Maiden Speech in Parliament, 1920Margaret Sanger, The Morality of Birth Control, 1921Virginia Woolf, Professions for Women, 1931Huda Sha'arawi, Speech at the Arab Feminist Conference, 1944Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, A Talk About Women, 1949Eva Peron, Speech to the Descamisados, 1951Helen Keller, The Life and Legacy of Louis Braille, 1952Eleanor Roosevelt, The United Nations as a Bridge, 1954Shirley Chisholm, Equal Rights for Women, 1969Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Argument in Frontiero v. Richardson, 1973Sylvia Rivera, Y'all Better Quiet Down, 1973Simone Veil, Speech to Parliament on Abortion Law, 1974Indira Gandhi, True Liberation of Women, 1980Margaret Thatcher, The Lady is Not For Turning, 1981Ursula K. LeGuin, A Left-Handed Commencement Speech, 1983Barbara McClintock, Nobel Lecture, 1983Corazon Aquino, Speech During the Joint Session of the US Congress, 1986Naomi Wolf, A Woman's Place, 1992Severn Cullis-Suzuki, Address to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, 1992Wilma Mankiller, Commencement Address, 1992Toni Morrison, Nobel Lecture, 1993Hillary Clinton, Remarks for the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, 1995Wangari Maathai, Nobel Lecture, 2004J.K. Rowling, Harvard Commencement Speech, 2008Angela Merkel, Speech to the US Congress, 2009Sheryl Sandberg, Barnard College Commencement Address, 2011Ellen Jonson Sirleaf, Nobel Lecture, 2011Asmaa Mahfouz, The Vlog that Helped Spark the Egyptian Revolution, 2011Manal al-Sharif, The Drive for Freedom, 2012Julia Gillard, The Misogyny Speech, 2012Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Prize Lecture, 2014Emma Watson, UN Speech on HeForShe, 2014Jane Goodall, Caring for the Earth - Reasons for Hope, 2016Michelle Obama, Speech at the Democratic National Convention, 2016Gloria Steinem, Women’s March Speech, 2017Beatrice Fihn, Nobel Lecture, 2017Alicia Garza, An Ode to Black Women, 2017Maya Lin, SVA Commencement Address, 2018 More Women to Inspire Read All About It! Credits Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisActive in the 1830s and 1840s, Flora Tristan is best known for her book "Workers' Union", an account of the conditions of women and workers in Peru, London, Paris and the provinces of France. Regarded as something of a pariah, she was one of the first women radicals to draw clear connections between the plight of disaffected workers and powerless women. Her version of socialism has been regarded as leading towards Marx. Sandra Dijkstra aims to paint a clear picture of Tristan as a class- and gender-conscious women writer in a transitional historical period, and to demonstrate her influence on Marxism.Trade ReviewFlora Tristan was the pioneer social explorer of the early Victorian world, chronicling the condition of women and labor from the sugar plantations of Peru to the salons of the July Monarchy and the satantic mills of industrial England. In this brilliant study, Dijkstra restores Tristan to her rightful but complex place in the histories of socialism and feminism. -- Mike Davis, author of Planet of Slums

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Book Synopsis'A deeply human read, wonderfully written, on the foibles of a fascinating, flawed, treacherous and sort of likeable character.' Philippe Sands Those people who were betrayed were not innocent people. They were no better nor worse than I am. It's all part of the intelligence world. If the man who turned me in came to my house today, I'd invite him to sit down and have a cup of tea. George Blake was the last remaining Cold War spy. As a Senior Officer in the British Intelligence Service who was double agent for the Soviet Union, his actions had devastating consequences for Britain. Yet he was also one of the least known double agents, and remained unrepentant. In 1961, Blake was sentenced to forty-two years imprisonment for betraying to the KGB all of the Western operations in which he was involved, and the names of hundreds of British agents working behind the Iron Curtain. This was the longest sentence for espionage ever to have been handed down by a British court. On the surface, Blake was a charming, intelligent and engaging man, and most importantly, a seemingly committed patriot. Underneath, a ruthlessly efficient mole and key player in the infamous 'Berlin Tunnel' operation. This illuminating biography tracks Blake from humble beginnings as a teenage courier for the Dutch underground during the Second World War, to the sensational prison-break from Wormwood Scrubs that inspired Hitchcock to write screenplay. Through a combination of personal interviews, research and unique access to Stasi records, journalist Simon Kuper unravels who Blake truly was, what he was capable of, and why he did it.Trade ReviewThe most comprehensive and insightful biography [of George Blake] to date -- Ben Macintyre * Times *Kuper provides a different and valuable perspective, humane and informative. If the definition of a psychopath is someone who refuses to accept the consequences of his actions, does George fit the definition? There he sits, admitting it was all for nothing, but has no regrets. Or does he? -- John Le CarréTruly enthralling, gets under the skin, gives us a more nuanced sense of who Mr Blake - or is it Comrade Blake? - really was and what, if anything, actually motivated him. It's a deeply human read, wonderfully written, on the foibles of a fascinating, flawed, treacherous and sort of likeable character. -- Philippe SandsA beguiling and endlessly interesting portrait of one man's rigid, Panglossian desire to see the best in everything ... The beauty of "Spies, Lies, and Exile" is the manner in which Blake's wide-eyed credulity is matched, blow for blow, by Mr. Kuper's considered skepticism and his ability, at the end, to see through the veneer of self-deception -- Henry Hemming * WSJ *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"[An] excellent new book." -- Robert Krulwich, NPR "[A] sumptuously illustrated visual biography...Radioactive is an incisive look at science's greatest partnership." -- Vogue "One of the most beautiful books-as-object that I've ever seen." -- Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love "[Radioactive is] a deeply unusual and forceful thing to have in your hands. Ms. Redniss's text is long, literate and supple...Her drawings are both vivid and ethereal...Radioactive is serious science and brisk storytelling. The word 'luminous' is a critic's cliche, to be avoided at all costs, but it fits." -- New York Times "Radioactive is quite unlike any book I have ever read-part history, part love story, part art work and all parts sheer imaginative genius." -- Malcolm Gladwell "Absolutely dazzling. Lauren Redniss has created a book that is both vibrant history and a work of art. Like radium itself, Radioactive glows with energy." -- Richard Rhodes, author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb, winner of the Pulitzer Prize "Radioactive offer innumerable wonders. Colors suddenly bloom into tremendous feeling, history contracts into a pair of elongated figures locked in an embrace, then expands again in an explosive rush of words. In this wholly original book about passion and discovery Lauren Redniss has invented her own unique form." -- Nicole Krauss, author of The History of Love

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Book SynopsisThe subject of a BBC TV series on Charles I The prize-winning biography of Charles I * Winner of the HWA Crown for Best Work of Historical Non-Fiction 2018 ** Times Book of the Year ** Shortlisted for the Catholic Herald Biography Award 2019 *Less than forty years after the golden age of Elizabeth I, England was at war with itself. At the head of this disintegrating kingdom was Charles I, who would change the face of the monarchy for ever. His reign is one of the most dramatic in history, yet Charles the man remains elusive. To his enemies he was the ''white tyrant of prophecy: to his supporters a murdered innocent. Today many myths still remain.It is an epic story of glamour and strong women, of populist politicians and religious terror, of mass movements and a revolutionary new media: one that speaks to our own divided and dangerous times.''This is the most gripping piece of revisionisTrade ReviewA revelation... White King is that rare thing, a page-turning history that gently but insistently also asks provocative questions about a period on which our opinions have been all too fixed. Charles does not emerge with his reputation restored, but he emerges whole -- Mathew Lyons * Financial Times *Fascinating -- Andrew Marr * Evening Standard *Humane and scholarly... De Lisle's deeply and originally researched book brings Charles alive not in kingly isolation but as a father and a husband. Both biography and subject deserve our fullest attention -- Dan Jones * Mail on Sunday *Engaging, well-researched and beautifully written... Emphatically not another book about the civil wars, this instead offers a nuanced and detailed examination of one of our most complex monarchs. It is probably the definitive modern work about Charles I -- Alexander Larman * Observer *De Lisle, who has long been an original voice in popular Tudor studies, is generous to Charles, but too sharp a reader of evidence to ignore his flaws... Pellucid, compelling and enriched by fresh evidence... Sympathetic but scrupulous to the last -- Jessie Childs * Sunday Telegraph *

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