Biography: historical, political and military Books
Huia Publishers Te Whiti o Rongomai and the Resistance of
Book SynopsisThis is an account of the life and times of Te Whiti o Rongomai set against the politics and Crown policies of the nineteenth century. It traces the forces that shaped his life’s journey from Ng?motu, where he was born, to his settling at Parihaka and his evolving sense of the injustices and disempowerment M?ori experienced and his response to these. The book discusses the struggles Te Whiti had, as understood by some of his living relatives, against native policy of the time, and it gives insights into the motivations of Te Whiti and his actions.It explores the community at Parihaka, its resistance and the consequences of this and looks at M?ori and government actions and responses up to the present day.
£999.99
Birlinn General The Tartan Pimpernel
Book SynopsisThis is the remarkable story of Donald Caskie, minister of the Scots Kirk in Paris at the time of the German invasion of France in 1940. Although he had several opportunities to flee, Caskie stayed behind to help establish a network of safe houses and escape routes for Allied soldiers and airmen trapped in occupied territory. This was dangerous work, and despite the constant threat of capture and execution, Caskie showed enormous resourcefulness and courage as he aided thousands of servicemen to freedom. Finally arrested and interrogated, he was sentenced to death at a Nazi show-trial, and it was only through the intervention of a German pastor that he was saved. After the war, Caskie returned to the Scots Kirk, where he served as minister until 1960. This inspiring story of selfless commitment to others in the face of extreme adversity is the legacy of a truly brave man.Trade Review'More thrilling than any adventure story' - The Scotsman
£9.49
Random House USA Inc After the Fall: The Rise of Authoritarianism in
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£11.05
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group Inc Mengele
Book SynopsisBased on exclusive and unrestricted access to more than 5,000 pages of personal writings and family photos, this definitive biography of German physician and SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Josef Mengele (1911-1979) probes the personality and motivations of Auschwitz''s Angel of Death. From May 1943 through January 1945, Mengele selected who would be gassed immediately, who would be worked to death, and who would serve as involuntary guinea pigs for his spurious and ghastly human experiments (twins were Mengele''s particular obsession). With authority and insight, Mengele examines the entire life of the world''s most infamous doctor.Trade ReviewWell researched and wonderfully free of all the customary fantasy and exaggeration.... Fascinating. * The New York Review Of Books *It's a pity that the official search for him did not match the vigor with which Posner and Ware stalk their subject in print. * The San Francisco Chronicle *The fullest account yet published.... Posner and Ware examine the efforts to bring the doctor to trial, separate fact from legend, account for the false trails that enticed Israeli agents and self-appointed Nazi hunters, and explain why he was never caught. ... Mengele is filled with startling touches. The book is an exciting chronicle of escape, evasion, and close calls. * Publishers Weekly *[A] welcome addition to the study of the Holocaust.... Mengele offers us insight into one of the most infamous perpetrators of the holocaust. -- Michael Berenbaum, director, Sigi Ziering Institute, American Jewish UniversityStudents of the Holocaust are fortunate to have this book in print once again. Posner and Ware have aptly titled their book; this is the complete story. The authors bring flair to the telling. It is a riveting tale. * The Historian *
£14.24
Ivan R. Dee Jfk and Lbj The Influence Of Personality Upon
Book SynopsisIn JFK and LBJ one of our most astute political observers examines two important events of the 1960s: why John F. Kennedy, the popular president, failed to push his legislative program through Congress, and why Lyndon B. Johnson, the consummate domestic politician, squandered his great consensus in an unpopular war in Vietnam. Tom Wicker''s theme is that personality and circumstance dominate political lifethat government consists chiefly of not measures but men. Mr. Wicker''s detailed and absorbing account, much of it going behind the scenes, shows how Kennedy''s brilliant campaign of 1960 made all but certain his deadlock with Congress, and how Johnson came to his most fateful decision within forty-eight hours of assuming the presidency. It is difficult in short space to do justice to the subtlety, the human and political insight, of this double portrait in presidential frustration.... Wicker has found in these two presidents who longed to acquit themselves well before history embodiments of the limits of the presidency.Edwin M. Yoder, Book World. Steadily persuasive ... wonderfully astute and incomparably lucid.Newsweek.Trade ReviewA provocative comparison of political personalities. * Accent *
£11.69
Rowman & Littlefield Russell Kirk
Book SynopsisWhen people look to the founding of the modern conservative movement, they must ultimately look to Russell Kirk (19181994). Author of the groundbreaking treatise The Conservative Mind, Kirk defined conservative political thought for the postWorld War II era. An imaginative and optimistic thinker, Kirk wrote essays in justice, society, education, economics, history, and literature that are timeless reminders of what Kirk called the permanent things: honor, courage, character, virtue, constancy, humility, wisdom, order, and prudence. His creative spirit is immortalized not only in his political work, howeverKirk also left behind a rich collection of spine-tingling horror stories and sophisticated novels.James E. Person Jr. explores every aspect of Kirk's quiet genius. His findings provide much needed insight into the mind of a philosopher who defined a movement that provokes heated debate to this day. Person's analysis traces conservatism to its roots and, in the process, uncovers importTrade ReviewIn this highly accessible and readable introduction to the life and works of Russell Kirk, Person provides a coherent and convincing analysis of Kirk’s enduring significance to American politics and humane learning. Originally published in 1999, the volume…remains an excellent contribution to scholarship. Person’s mission is to introduce a new generation to ‘one of the greatest minds this nation has produced during the twentieth century.’ The book is organized into four sections that outline Kirk’s achievement. The first is devoted to interpreting Kirk’s background, use of historical consciousness, views on education, and constitutionalism. The second critiques Kirk’s devotion to the importance of literature and social criticism. The last two sections survey Kirk’s economic thought and his lasting importance as a political thinker. The greatest contribution of this worthwhile volume can be found in the author’s review of Kirk’s defense of a social order grounded in justice and the diffusion of political power. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty. * CHOICE *Deft, informative, and amazingly comprehensive; friendly to its subject but not slavishly so. * The University Bookman *[Person's] book represents a signal contribution to Kirk scholarship. * Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture *Russell Kirk's scholarship gave respectability to the conservative movement after World War II. He stands at the very summit of political philosophers, and Person's biography is indeed worthy of its subject. -- Congressman Henry J. Hyde, M. C.This book...will show an entire new generation what a fine man and excellent thinker lived in our time. -- Ray BradburyPerson's book helps us not only in measuring the value of Russell Kirk's contribution to conservative thought, but also in discerning his worthy role in American life and letters. It is a book that reminds us, too, of how much Kirk has helped us to fathom the true nature of 'armed doctrines' in our time. -- George A. Panichas, author of The Critical Legacy of Irving Babbitt: An Appreciation and editor of Modern AgeA brilliant synthesis of the many strands making up Russell Kirk's amazing life and legacy. Person brings to vivid life the man and the career that made modern conservatism possible, and could re-enliven it today. -- Bruce Frohnen, Ohio Northern University, historian and author of Virtue and the Promise of ConservatismRussell Kirk and his writings should be part of the education of every American—conservative or liberal—who thinks seriously and deeply about the future of our republic. An excellent introduction, sustained by sound scholarship, and enlivened by vivid writing. -- Alf J. Mapp Jr., author of Three Golden Ages: Discovering the Creative Secrets of Renaissance Florence, Elizabethan England, and America's Founding
£13.49
Rowman & Littlefield Suncoast Empire: Bertha Honore Palmer, Her
Book Synopsis
£13.49
Rowman & Littlefield Titanic Survivor: The Newly Discovered Memoirs of
Book SynopsisViolet Jessop's life is an inspiring story of survival. Born in 1887 in Argentina, the eldest child of Irish immigrants, at the age of 21 she became the breadwinner for her widowed mother and five siblings when she commenced a career as a stewardess and nurse on some of the most famous ocean going vessels of the day. Throughout her 40 year time at sea she survived an unbelievable series of events including the sinking of the TITANIC. “One awful moment of empty, misty blackness enveloped us in its loneliness, then an unforgettable, agonizing cry went up from 1500 despairing throats, a long wail and then silence and our tiny craft tossing about at the mercy of the ice field.” For most people one sinking would be enough. But four years later Violet, now a nurse with the British Red Cross, was on board the World War I hospital ship BRITANNIC when it struck a mine and sank to the bottom of the Aegean. To her, this disaster was even more horrifying-- “Just as life seeming nothing but a whirling, choking ache, I rose to the light of day, my nose barely above the little lapping waves. I opened my eyes on an indescribable scene of slaughter, which made me shut them again to keep it out." By the end of her story we have a met a woman who could handle whatever life threw at her with determination and good humor. She knew that only by her own strength of character would she survive. But Titanic Survivor is much more. A unique autobiography for those who want to know how it really felt, a story that could be told only by a Titanic Survivor.Trade ReviewAside from the disasters, there is much in her memoirs to enjoy; from her tales of travel, to the ships themselves, and to the many characters she met in a fascinating lifetime at sea. * Sailing *Compelling...a fresh, indispensable chapter to the legend...invaluable. * Publishers Weekly *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction Chapter 1: The Early Years Chapter 2: The Railway Interval Chapter 3: Buenos Aires Chapter 4: In the Mountains Chapter 5: Illness and Death Chapter 6: Repatriation Chapter 7: In Charge Chapter 8: Convent Days Chapter 9: Choosing a Career Chapter 10: To Sea at Last Chapter 11: Enter Ned Chapter 12: Insufferable Passengers Chapter 13: Troubled Voyage Chapter 14: The South American Run Chapter 15: The White Star Line Chapter 16: Cabin Drama Chapter 17: Olympic Chapter 18: (This chapter is missing) Chapter 19: Polemic and Lament Chapter 20: Titanic Chapter 21: Into the Lifeboat Chapter 22: Rescue Chapter 23: Australia and Ned Chapter 24: Shipboard Romance Chapter 25: A Nurse in the Great War Chapter 26: Britannic Chapter 27: Aftermath Chapter 28: Peace and Prohibition Chapter 29: Tim Goes Missing Chapter 30: World Cruise Chapter 31: At Sea Chapter 32: The Jinrikisha Man Chapter 33: The Baroness Chapter 34: Tom's Downfall Epilogue Appendix I Appendix II Bibliography Index
£18.81
Rowman & Littlefield Titanic Survivor
Book SynopsisViolet Jessop's life is an inspiring story of survival. Born in 1887 in Argentina, the eldest child of Irish immigrants, at the age of 21 she became the breadwinner for her widowed mother and five siblings when she commenced a career as a stewardess and nurse on some of the most famous ocean going vessels of the day. Throughout her 40 year time at sea she survived an unbelievable series of events including the sinking of the TITANIC. “One awful moment of empty, misty blackness enveloped us in its loneliness, then an unforgettable, agonizing cry went up from 1500 despairing throats, a long wail and then silence and our tiny craft tossing about at the mercy of the ice field.” For most people one sinking would be enough. But four years later Violet, now a nurse with the British Red Cross, was on board the World War I hospital ship BRITANNIC when it struck a mine and sank to the bottom of the Aegean. To her, this disaster was even more horrifying-- “Just as life seeming nothing but a whirling, choking ache, I rose to the light of day, my nose barely above the little lapping waves. I opened my eyes on an indescribable scene of slaughter, which made me shut them again to keep it out." By the end of her story we have a met a woman who could handle whatever life threw at her with determination and good humor. She knew that only by her own strength of character would she survive. But Titanic Survivor is much more. A unique autobiography for those who want to know how it really felt, a story that could be told only by a Titanic Survivor.Trade ReviewAside from the disasters, there is much in her memoirs to enjoy; from her tales of travel, to the ships themselves, and to the many characters she met in a fascinating lifetime at sea. * Sailing *Compelling...a fresh, indispensable chapter to the legend...invaluable. * Publishers Weekly *Table of ContentsNew Preface Preface Introduction Chapter 1: The Early Years Chapter 2: The Railway Interval Chapter 3: Buenos Aires Chapter 4: In the Mountains Chapter 5: Illness and Death Chapter 6: Repatriation Chapter 7: In Charge Chapter 8: Convent Days Chapter 9: Choosing a Career Chapter 10: To Sea at Last Chapter 11: Enter Ned Chapter 12: Insufferable Passengers Chapter 13: Troubled Voyage Chapter 14: The South American Run Chapter 15: The White Star Line Chapter 16: Cabin Drama Chapter 17: Olympic Chapter 18: (This chapter is missing) Chapter 19: Polemic and Lament Chapter 20: Titanic Chapter 21: Into the Lifeboat Chapter 22: Rescue Chapter 23: Australia and Ned Chapter 24: Shipboard Romance Chapter 25: A Nurse in the Great War Chapter 26: Britannic Chapter 27: Aftermath Chapter 28: Peace and Prohibition Chapter 29: Tim Goes Missing Chapter 30: World Cruise Chapter 31: At Sea Chapter 32: The Jinrikisha Man Chapter 33: The Baroness Chapter 34: Tom's Downfall Epilogue Appendix I Appendix II Bibliography Index
£13.29
Rowman & Littlefield Angel of Bataan: The Life of a World War II Army
Book SynopsisAlice Zwicker was the only service woman from Maine to be a prisoner of the enemy in either of the two World Wars. But there is more to the story than that. Across the nation, wherever one of the seventy-seven Angels of Bataan returned home, there was a hero’s welcome. Those Army and Navy nurses had shown what American women could do and be, even in times of defeat. This is Alice’s story: her growing up in a small Maine town, her commitment to the profession of nursing, and her immersion in World War II. There was Manila, Bataan, Corregidor, and then three long, hungry years when she was held prisoner by the Japanese. For Alice, the terrible legacy of war did not end with her liberation from internment camp, or even with her coming home. When victory finally arrived for Alice, it was achieved in her own soul.Trade Review"...marvelous. .. .This is not just another war story; rather, it honors a Maine woman whose unselfish life of service and comfort to others serves as an inspiration, as well as a fitting tribute to the strength and sacrifice of all American servicewomen." * CentralMaine.com *
£11.69
Turner Publishing Company Never Give In: The Extraordinary Character of
Book SynopsisWinston Churchill was one of the most extraordinary leaders of the twentieth century. What was it that enabled him to stand so steadfastly when all those around him seemed to turn back in fear? What was it that enabled him to inspire whole nations to endure the unendurable and to achieve the unachievable when all those around him had already surrendered all hope? This remarkable new study of Churchill's leadership skill answers these questions and more. The result is an account that is as inspiring today as it was more than half a century ago when the great man' shadow fell large across the world stage. According to Henry Kissinger, "Our age finds it difficult to come to grips with Churchill. The political leaders with whom we are familiar generally aspire to be superstars rather than heroes. The distinction is crucial. Superstars strive for approbation; heroes walk alone. Superstars crave consensus; heroes define themselves by the...future they see it as their risk to bring about. Superstars seek success in a technique for eliciting support; heroes pursue success as the outgrowth of their inner values." Winston Churchill was a hero.Trade Review“Stephen Mansfield possesses a God-given mantle of leadership—historically and Biblically. I feel these strengths are expressed in his book Never Give In, which details the life of England’s brave knight who possessed and practiced the virtues that embody a truly great leader.” —John S. Wilder, Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate, State of Tennessee
£14.24
McGill-Queen's University Press Pietro Bembo
Book SynopsisThe first full-length biography of Renaissance Cardinal Pietro BemboTrade Review"Carol Kidwell's meticulously researched book gives a wonderufl sense of time and place, of the world of an unsung and slightly questionable hero."--History Today, January 2006
£45.00
McFarland & Co Inc The Norman Conquest of Southern Italy and Sicily
Book Synopsis The Normans originally came to Italy and Sicily in the 11th and 12th centuries looking for adventure or a livelihood, but once there, found opportunity for fame and fortune. The story of the Norman conquest in Italy and Sicily is indeed one of knights and adventurers, great battles and lowly pillage, opportunism and statesmanship, and crusade and coexistence. This rich and often dramatic study focuses on the eight sons of Tancred of Hauteville, especially Robert Guiscard, who has been called the most dazzling military ruler between Julius Caesar and Napoleon, and his youngest brother Roger, who conquered Sicily. It discusses how they expanded their lands throughout southern Italy, and then took Sicily from its Muslim rulers. The brothers, often in conflict with each other, challenged both the Papacy and the Byzantine Empire, became the main supporters of the reformed Papacy, and founded a rich, sophisticated kingdom that lasted until the nineteenth century.
£20.89
Lexington Books Steve Biko
Book SynopsisMoving away from the domain of commemorative, iconicity, monumentalization, and memorialization, Sithole uses Steve Biko''s meditations as a discursive intervention to understand black subjectivity. The epistemological shift of this book is not to be bogged down by the cataloging of events, something that is popular in the literature of Steve Biko and Black Consciousness. Rather, a theoretical imagination and conceptual invention is engaged upon in order to situate Biko within the existential repertoire of blackness as a site of subjectivity and not the object of study. The theoretical imagination and conceptual invention fosters an interpretive approach and an ongoing critique that cannot reach any epistemic closure. This is what decolonial meditations are all about, opening up new vistas of thought and new modes of critique informed by epistemic breaks from empirical absolutism that reduce Biko to an epistemic catalogue. It is in Steve Biko: Decolonial Meditations of Black ConsciousnTrade ReviewSithole's critical decolonial foray into the liberatory ideas of Steve Biko is pioneering and refreshing in many ways. Biko is neither reduced to a simple shrine to be worshiped nor a hagiography to be celebrated. Through Sithole's sharp analysis, Biko is rightfully given a place in the burgeoning pantheon of black liberatory philosophies. -- Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni, author of "The Decolonial Mandela: Peace, Justice and the Politics of Life"This book is a profound ground-breaking account of Biko’s philosophy from a decolonial epistemic perspective hitherto unheard of. It is testimony to the relevance and ever growing re-emergence of Biko and the Black Consciousness philosophy in a country still suffering from antiblack racism, Nelson Mandela’s efforts at racial reconciliation notwithstanding. Sithole’s book is therefore a must-read for anyone trying to understand the confluence of existentialism and decolonial theory in Biko’s philosophy of Black subjectivity in an antiblack society. -- Mabogo Percy More, Professor of Philosophy, University of LimpopoTable of ContentsIntroduction: Biko’s Contested Subjectivities Chapter 1: Biko: A Decolonial Philosopher Chapter 2: The Existential Scandal of Antiblack Racism Chapter 3: The Mask of Bad Faith Chapter 4: The Colonial State: The Freedom Charter and the Modicum of Freedom Chapter 5: The Racist State, the Law, and its Outlawed Chapter 6: Biko and the Problématique of Death Coda: Charting the Terrains of the De-colonial Turn
£40.50
Mango Media The Very Secret Sex Lives of Medieval Women: An
Book SynopsisWhat Was Sex Like for a Medieval Woman?“Wickedly entertaining, informative and thought-provoking. An insightful, modern look at the lives of women as they were.” —Dr. Markus Kerr, PhD, MDR.#1 New Release in Etiquette Guides & AdviceAn inside look at sexual practices in medieval times. Were medieval women slaves to their husband's desires, jealously secured in a chastity belt in his absence? Was sex a duty or could it be a pleasure? Did a woman have a say about her own female sexuality, body, and who did or didn’t get up close and personal with it? No. And yes. It’s complicated.Romance, courtship, and behind closed doors. The intimate lives of medieval women were as complex as for modern women. They loved and lost, hoped and schemed, were lifted up and cast down. They were hopeful and lovelorn. Some had it forced upon them, others made aphrodisiacs and dressed for success. Some were chaste and some were lusty. Having sex was complicated. Not having sex, was even more so.Inside The Very Secret Sex Lives of Medieval Women, a fascinating book about life during medieval times, you will discover tantalizing true stories about medieval women and a myriad of historical facts. Learn about: The true experiences of women from all classes, including women who made history The dos and don’ts in the bedroom Sexy foods and how to have them All you need to know for your wedding night, and well as insider medical advice How to get pregnant (and how not to), and more Fans of The Time Traveller’s Guide to Medieval England, Medieval Women and Terry Jones’ Medieval Lives will meet real women and hear their voices in The Very Secret Sex Lives of Medieval Women.
£15.26
Berghahn Books History in the Plural: An Introduction to the
Book Synopsis Reinhart Koselleck (1923–2006) was one of most imposing and influential European intellectual historians in the twentieth century. Constantly probing and transgressing the boundaries of mainstream historical writing, he created numerous highly innovative approaches, absorbing influences from other academic disciplines as represented in the work of philosophers and political thinkers like Hans Georg Gadamer and Carl Schmitt and that of internationally renowned scholars such as Hayden White, Michel Foucault, and Quentin Skinner. An advocate of “grand theory,” Koselleck was an inspiration to many scholars and helped move the discipline into new directions (such as conceptual history, theories of historical times and memory) and across disciplinary and national boundaries. He thus achieved a degree of international fame that was unusual for a German historian after 1945. This book not only presents the life and work of a “great thinker” and European intellectual, it also contributes to our understanding of complex theoretical and methodological issues in the cultural sciences and to our knowledge of the history of political, historical, and cultural thought in Germany from the 1950s to the present.Trade Review “…the first profound comprehensive evaluation of Reinhart Koselleck’s work. It is a remarkable achievement in that it analyses Koselleck’s major publications and his work at the “Geschichtliche Grundbegriffe” in great detail and integrates them into the overall context of his work.” • German Studies Review “Befitting its subject, this book is a methodologically sound and theoretically sophisticated piece of scholarship. Niklas Olsen has done the English-speaking world a profound service by situating the work of Reinhart Koselleck—one of the most compelling theorists of history of recent memory—back into the many contexts out of which it emerged and which it eventually helped to transform over the course of a distinguished career…Koselleck’s meditations on the multi-faceted natures of both historical time and historical writing are more relevant than ever. And to these profound meditations History in the Plural will no doubt remain a trustworthy guide.” • American Historical Review “[Olsen] has an encyclopedic grasp of all of Koselleck’s published writings. Commendably, [he] has also mastered the vast secondary literature on Koselleck and includes hundreds of intriguing references for his readers to explore.” • Central European History “All those with an interest in social sciences, and particularly in historical semantics, the theory of history and intellectual history, have every reason to welcome this book and congratulate the author for this splendid accomplishment.. It is essential reading for all those interested in conceptual history, the theory of history, the study of historiography and memory, and in social sciences in general, not only traces the career of that great European intellectual, Reinhart Koselleck, but also, in doing so, offers a broad panorama of some of the crucial theoretical and methodological debates of the past sixty years, while also touching on certain aspects of German political and social life from the post–World War II period.” • Contributions to the History of Concepts “[This] groundbreaking study of Koselleck, his works and the contexts in which he developed his thoughts [is] a welcome contribution to our knowledge of one of the most vital and pertinent historical theorists of the twentieth century. History in the Pluralcontributes to the on-going historiographical discussions about German intellectuals in the twentieth century, and…is a valuable contribution to the reception of Koselleck’s work in non-German speaking academic traditions.” • European Review of History—Revue européenne d’histoire “Given the widespread appreciation of Koselleck’s work, especially by his contemporaries and disciples, it was not an easy task for Niklas Olsen to be the first to deliver a comprehensive overview of his multifaceted œuvre. The author succeeded in this, and it is his achievement to present Reinhart Koselleck to the English-language professional public as one of the most important German historians of the postwar period.” • H-Soz-u-Kult “This is the first intellectual biography, in any language, on post-war Germany’s greatest theorist of history, Reinhart Koselleck. It not only illuminates Koselleck’s role in founding conceptual history, but also introduces his important accounts of historical time, of historical anthropology, and of political iconology. Both students of post-war German intellectual history and, broadly speaking, of philosophies of history will find this an immensely rich and stimulating volume.” • Jan-Werner Müller, Professor of Politics and Founding Director, Project in the History of Political Thought, Princeton University “This is a very thorough and, at the same time, original take on Reinhard Koselleck’s work…As the major representative of German Begriffsgeschichte, he deserves to be better known in the English-speaking world, and this volume will go a long way to achieve this aim…It is an excellent contribution to historical theory and the history of historiography.” • Stefan Berger, University of Manchester “…an impressive book, especially in the way in which the author succeeds in integrating biographical, historical, and philosophical elements in an elegant and lucid way—something achieved by only the best introductions to Western thinkers and intellectuals.” • Helge Jordheim, University of OsloTable of Contents Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1. Family - war - university: the various educations of Reinhart Koselleck Chapter 2. Explaining, criticizing and revising modern political thought Chapter 3. Social history between reform and revolution Chapter 4. Program - project - straight jacket: the Geschichtliche Grundbegriffe Chapter 5. Theorizing historical time and historical writing Chapter 6. Commemorating the dead: experience, understanding, identity Chapter 7. The foundations and the future of Koselleck’s scholarly program Bibliography Index
£26.55
Haymarket Books Alexandra Kollontai: A Biography (Revised
Book SynopsisAlexandra Kollontai was a key leader of the Russian Socialist movement, the only woman in the early Soviet government, and one of the most famous women in Russian history. She worked tirelessly all her life, as a speaker, writer, and organizer for women's emancipation. This compelling biography recounts her life for an emerging generation of fighters for women's liberation.Trade Review"A very detailed life-story of this extraordinary woman . . . Cathy Porter has written a sad, serious, and very readable book . . ." —Tamara Deutscher, Marxism Today (first edition) "Alexandra Kollontai has the potential to be a true delight for the connoisseur by providing an alternative historical account of Russia and the socialist movement. However, what makes it transcend time is Kollontai's chief belief that women should be at the centre of the economy, not the periphery" —Spokeman "an interesting and detailed account of some of the most exciting years in working class history" —Socialist Review"Kollontai, a staunch opponent of the first world war, broke with moderates who supported the war and joined the Bolsheviks, becoming a vital figure in the women’s liberation movement for which she struggled throughout her life. She was the first woman ever to be appointed an ambassador to Norway and wrote: “I realised that I had thereby achieved a victory not only for myself, but for women in general … When on occasion I am told that it is truly remarkable that a woman has been appointed to such a responsible position, I always think to myself that in the final analysis … what is of a wholly special significance here is that a woman, like myself, who has settled scores with the double standard and who has never concealed it, was accepted into a caste which to this very day staunchly upholds tradition and pseudo-morality.” —Tariq AliTable of ContentsCONTENTS Chronology xi Introduction 1 Chapter One: Too Much Family Happiness 7 Chapter Two: Small Deeds 38 Chapter Three: Marxists and Revisionists 65 Chapter Four: What Is To Be Done? 85 Chapter Five: After Bloody Sunday 103 Chapter Six: Heckling the Feminists 121 Chapter Seven: Exiled in Workers’ Europe 141 Chapter Eight: The Collapse of Internationalism 164 Chapter Nine: War on War! 190 Chapter Ten: Agitating for Revolution 213 Chapter Eleven: Militant Spring 233 Chapter Twelve: Peace, Bread, Land and Justice 250 Chapter Thirteen: Cooks and Commissars 269 Chapter Fourteen: Civil War 293 Chapter Fifteen: The Crisis of the Revolution 323 Chapter Sixteen: Workers’ Opposition 347 Chapter Seventeen: Exiled in Diplomats’ Europe 372 Chapter Eighteen: Years of Uncertainty 390 Chapter Nineteen: The Purges, Fascism and War 412 Chapter Twenty: The Last Years 445 Notes 452 Bibliography 474 Organisations and Russian Terms 499 Index
£22.49
Haymarket Books Communist Insurgent
Book SynopsisIn the revolutionary tradition, the name of Louis Blanqui is either remembered with derision or as a noble failure. Yet during his lifetime, Blanqui was a towering figure of revolutionary courage and commitment as he organised nearly a half-dozen failed revolutionary conspiracies and spent half of his life in jail. Specters of Communism is Blanqui's story.Trade Review"Those interested in the history of the socialist movement should welcome this new book by Doug Enaa Greene. Brief and accessibly written, it presents the main elements of Blanqui's life in a perspective which is sympathetic to his revolutionary goals while being rigorously critical in its approach." –Ian BirchallTable of ContentsTable of Contents Specters of Communism: Blanqui and Marxby Doug Enaa Greene I. Family and Early Life 5 II. Restoration-Era France and the Carbonari 10 a. The Development of French Capitalism 10 b. The Restoration 13 c. The Carbonari 16 d. From Charles X to the July Monarchy 21 III. The Activist 25 a. Early Influences and Activism 25 b. Amelie-Suzanne 26 c. Towards July 27 d. Opposition 31 e. A Hundred Schools of Thought 33 f. Friends of the People 42 g. The Society of Families 51I V. The French Proletariat 1830-1848 58 V. Aux Armes: The Society of Seasons and the Uprising of May 1839 67 a. Society of Seasons 68 b. The Uprising of May 12, 1839 71 c. The League of the Just 76 VI. Towards 1848 82 a. To Hell and Back 82 b. The 1848 Revolution 87 c. Blanqui in 1848 98 VII. Marx and Blanqui 110 a. Marx and the Proletariat 112 b. Marx's theory and practice from 1848-1850 121 c. Did Marx ally with the Blanquists in 1851 131 VIII. The Second French Empire 146 a. The Reign of Louis-Napoleon III 146 b. Blanqui 1849-1865 156 IX. Opposition 163 a. Cracks in the Regime 163 b. Blanqui and the Blanquist Party 166? c. The First International 187 X. The Paris Commune 198 A. The Franco-Prussian War and Blanqui's Patriotism 199 a. Downfall 199 b. The International 200 c. Blanqui's Nationalism 203 d. The Government of National Defense and October 31 206 e. The Last Coup 210 B. The Road to Revolution 213 C. Storming Heaven: The Paris Commune 224 a. Overview 224 b. Blanquists in the Commune 226? c. The International in the Commune 241? D. Assessing the Commune 254? ?XI. Realignment 267? a. Eternity According to Stars 267? b. Exiles 271? c. New Currents 278? d. Liberation and death 289?? Conclusion: The Unconquerable Man 291?? Bibliography 292
£17.99
Chicago Review Press Giovanni's Ring: My Life Inside the Real Sopranos
Book SynopsisGiovanni’s Ring is the story of “Giovanni Rocco,” a New Jersey police officer, known undercover as “Giovanni Gatto,” who spent over twenty years in various undercover roles, penetrating biker gangs, drug cartels, white supremacist groups, and domestic and international terror groups. Most significantly, he was the mysterious agent at the epicenter of Operation Charlie Horse, a federal undercover operation that ultimately brought down ten members and associates of New Jersey’s DeCavalcante Mafia family—the criminal organization otherwise known to law enforcement as “the real Sopranos.” Giovanni spent nearly three years working his way into the DeCavalcante hierarchy. He was so convincing in his role that capo Charlie “the Hat” Stango (also known as Charlie “Beeps”) began to treat him as his “right hand.” Over time, the personal relationship between the two men grew to a point where Charlie treated Giovanni more as a favored son than just an associate. Giovanni became so fully trusted that Stango went “on the record” for him with the family’s administration and put him in charge of his own crew. Giovanni was permitted to attend meetings with other high-ranking members of the DeCavalcante crime family, as well as with senior members of New York’s notorious Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese Mafia families, and was authorized to speak on his capo’s behalf. Each passing day became a roll of the dice for Giovanni, plaguing him with doubts: Is today the day my cover is blown? Is this the last day I see my wife and children? Will one of my deals between families or crews go bad and I’ll get clipped? Is this all worth it? Stango eventually assigned Giovanni the task of killing Luigi “the Dog” Oliveri, a troublesome made member of the crime family. That lethal assignment brought the undercover operation to an end in March 2015, and the resulting string of high-profile arrests eviscerated the criminal organization. In the course of the operation, Giovanni secretly recorded hundreds of conversations relating to a wide range of crimes including counterfeit and contraband goods trafficking, warehouse robberies, truck hijackings, and drug trafficking. Also, and importantly for his own safety, he learned that the DeCavalcante family had secured access to sensitive law enforcement information, including information about specific investigations into DeCavalcante members and associates.Giovanni’s Ring is not simply a chronicle of Giovanni Rocco’s adventures in the murky and dangerous Mafia world he inhabited, but also a fascinating window into the psychological struggles that such a life inevitably entails. Whenever Giovanni returned to his real home and his real family, he needed to perform an invariable ritual: he parked in his driveway, removed his jeweled pinky ring, and dropped it in a cup holder, trying to drop the Gatto identity as well. Giovanni’s Ring is a story that is by turns astonishing, electrifying, gut-wrenching, and always deeply human.Table of Contents1: A Day in the Life 2: The University of Bayonne 3: Accidental Cop 4: Back on the Streets 5: T.F.O. 6: Home Fires 7: Small(s) Beginnings 8: Jealous Mistress 9: Lui “The Dog” 10: Making the Jump—Gambinos 11: Creeping Suspicions 12: First Contact 13: Operation Charlie Horse 14: Planting the Flag 15: Love and War 16: Charlie’s Waking Nightmare 17: Las Vegas 18: Too Close to Home 19: The Dog Picks Up a Scent 20: Game of Chairs 21: On the Record 22: Tested 23: The Bonds of Iniquity 24: Building a Crew 25: Cugine 26: Unwired 27: Whack the Dog—Act I 28: Controlling the Crazies 29: Whack the Dog—Act II 30: Mobster Conclave 31: Nut Job Freddie 32: Whack the Dog—Act III 33: Hotsy-Totsy Shrimp 34: End Game 35: Arrest 36: Home Alone Q & A with “Giovanni Rocco”
£15.26
Boydell Press John the Fearless
Book SynopsisThe aims and personality of the second duke are illuminated, and the development of the Burgundian state during his ducal reign (1404-1419) charted. His supposed 'infernal pact' with the English and his assassination are examined;his activities in France are studied, as he exploited French resources for the benefit of Burgundy.Trade ReviewThis reissue of Vaughan's seminal series is welcome indeed. Nothing of this scale has been written before or since...on the Burgundian state.... Erudite but highly readable.... An attractive and timely repackaging of an unrivalled classic of Burgundian studies. * MEDIUM AEVUM *
£25.99
OUP USA Tibets Great Yogi Milarepa
Book SynopsisThis life story of Milarepa--the important Tibetan religious leader who lived over 800 years ago--is part of a remarkable four-volume series on Tibetan Buddhism produced by the late W.Y. Evans-Wentz, all four of which are being published by Oxford in new editions. While there are many parochial differences among the several sects of Tibetan Buddhism, each holds the Great Yogi Milarepa in the highest reverence and esteem. For exemplified in Milarepa''s life, as we discover in these pages, are all of the teachings of the great yogis of India--including those of Gautama the Buddha, the greatest yogi known to history. Amid his detailed introductory and explanatory notes for this text, Evans-Wentz also reveals compelling similarities between the life and thought of Milarepa and those of Jesus, Gandhi, and saints...in ancient China, or India, or Babylonia, or Egypt, or Rome, or in our own epoch. In composing this translation from the original Tibetan, the late Lama Kazi Dawa-Samdup, who wasTable of ContentsPART I: THE PATH OF DARKNESS; PART II: THE PATH OF LIGHT
£17.84
Rupa & Co Private Life of the Mughals of India (1526-1803 A.D.)
Book SynopsisBringing toife the opulent, sometimes scandalous, privateives of the Mughals of India, Privateifeeaves no detail untouched: their food, drink, clothes ornaments, intoxicants, amusements, marriage and harm-life are all vibrantly described, a suitable backdrop for the intriguing personalities of the period. Well-written with colour illustrations and photographs, this book will delight all connoisseurs of Mughal history.
£19.53
Oxford University Press Cleopatra
Book SynopsisFew personalities from classical antiquity are more famous--yet more poorly understood--than Cleopatra VII, queen of Egypt. In this major biography, Duane Roller reveals that Cleopatra was in fact a learned and visionary leader whose overarching goal was always the preservation of her dynasty and kingdom. Roller''s authoritative account is the first to be based solely on primary materials from the Greco-Roman period: literary sources, Egyptian documents (Cleopatra''s own writings), and representations in art and coinage produced while she was alive. His compelling portrait of the queen illuminates her prowess as a royal administrator who managed a large and diverse kingdom extending from Asia Minor to the interior of Egypt, as a naval commander who led her own fleet in battle, and as a scholar and supporter of the arts. Even her love affairs with Julius Caesar and Marcus Antonius--the source of her reputation as a supreme seductress who drove men to their doom--were carefully crafted Trade ReviewThis is Cleopatra laid bare without any distractions: a good beginning for readers who know little about her and want to learn more. * History Today *Roller offers a superb panorama of the society and culture of late Ptolemaic Egypt, with vivid sketches of....Cleopatra's Alexandria. * Times Literary Supplement *Table of ContentsPreface ; Abbreviations ; List of Illustrations ; Introduction ; 1. Cleopatra's Ancestry and Background ; 2. The Ptolemaic Heritage and the Entanglement With Rome ; 3. Cleopatra's Youth and Education ; 4. Becoming Queen (51-47 BC) ; 5. Consolidating the Empire (47-40 BC) ; 6. The Peak Years (40-34 BC) ; 7. The Operation of the Kingdom ; 8. Scholarship and Culture at the Court of Cleopatra ; 9. Downfall (34-30 BC) ; Appendices ; Bibliography ; List of Passages Cited ; Index
£12.59
Biteback Publishing Helen Suzman: Bright Star in a Dark Chamber
Book Synopsis'The task of all who believe in multiracialism in this country is to survive. Quite inevitably time is on our side...' Helen Suzman was the voice of South Africa's conscience during the darkest days of apartheid. She stood alone in parliament, confronted by a legion of highly chauvinist male politicians. Armed with the relentless determination and biting wit for which she became renowned, Suzman battled the racist regime and earned her reputation as a legendary anti-apartheid campaigner. Despite constant antagonism and the threat of violence, she forced into the global spotlight the injustices of the country's minority rule. Access to Suzman's papers, including her unpublished correspondence with Nelson Mandela, was granted by her family to the author, former British ambassador to South Africa Robin Renwick, who has penned a book rich with examples of her humour and political brilliance. This first full biography goes beyond her famous struggle against apartheid into her criticisms of the post-apartheid government. It is a fascinating insight into the life of a truly great South African and her role in one of the most important struggles in modern history.Trade Review"Helen Suzman was sharp, incisive, principled and loads of fun. So is this biography... Brings Helen Suzman to life." John Carlin, Author of Invictus "Robin Renwick was British Ambassador in the 1980s, and writes lucidly and carefully as both friend and historian, taking us through the years of tightening apartheid and its educational, social and domestic repressions. It covers Sharpeville, Soweto, Robben Island and the atrocities and injustices which Suzman fought... as a character she emerges superbly." Libby Purves, The Times "[T]he truest of liberals... this crisp, lucid account is persuasive in presenting her as the doughtiest of fighters for human rights anywhere and one of the finest parliamentarians." The Economist "Robin Renwick's biography brims with anecdotes. In an era of overlong biographies, it shares her fondness for clarity, concision and humour. It is also exquisitely timed... and relevant today." Alec Russell, FT "The new insights that Robin Renwick brings to the extraordinary life and achievements of the late Helen Suzman will help to ensure that this exceptional South African and universally acknowledged human rights campaigner is accorded her rightful place in history." John Battersby, former editor of the Sunday Independent "Wonderfully readable story of someone I think of every day." Helen Zille, Premier of the Western Cape "Lord Renwick has done us all a great service." FW de Klerk "A wonderful book." Peter Bruce, Financial Mail "Timely, easy to read, elegant biography of the redoubtable Helen Suzman." Business Day "This well told story of Lord Renwick's old friend, revered by a whole generation of Robben Islanders, is also the history of the rise and fall of apartheid... brilliant use of vignettes and anecdotes." City Press "A fascinating insight into the life of a truly great South African... Former British Ambassador to South Africa Robin Renwick has penned a book rich with examples of her humour and political brilliance." The South African "A story of sheer political grit, courage and conviction, proving that even in the darkest hour there remain people loyal to their principles." South African Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe "Brilliantly written portrait of an inspiring figure." Mamphela Ramphele "An admirable and affectionate portrait of a remarkable woman." David Welsh, author of The Rise and Fall of Apartheid "A remarkable biography about a memorable woman. As British ambassador to South Africa, Lord Robin Renwick established a lasting friendship with Helen Suzman. Hence the excellence of this biography: the clarity of language, grasp and depth of issues, the human touch that pervades every chapter, and the deceptively easy readability. Coming at a time when liberalism has again come to the forefront of the national debate, it could not have appeared at a better moment." Stanley Uys, veteran South African journalist and political commentator
£15.29
HarperCollins Publishers Warriors
Book SynopsisAn exhilarating and uplifting account of the lives of sixteen warriors' from the last three centuries, hand-picked for their bravery or extraordinary military experience by the eminent military historian, author and ex-editor of the Daily Telegraph, Sir Max Hastings.Over the course of forty years of writing about war, Max Hastings has grown fascinated by outstanding deeds of derring-do on the battlefield (land, sea or air) and by their practitioners. He takes as his examples sixteen people from different nationalities in modern history including Napoleon's blessed fool' Baron Marcellin de Marbot (the model for Conan Doyle's Brigadier Gerard); Sir Harry Smith, whose Spanish wife Juana became his military companion on many a campaign in the early 19th-century; Lieutenant John Chard, an unassuming engineer who became the hero of Rorke's Drift in the Zulu wars; and Squadron Leader Guy Gibson, the dam buster' whose heroism in the skies of World War II earned him the nation''s admiration, but few friends.Every army, in order to prevail on the battlefield, needs a certain number of people capable of courage beyond the norm. In this book Max Hastings investigates what this norm might be and how it has changed over the centuries. While celebrating feats of outstanding valour, he also throws a beady eye over the awarding of medals for gallantry and why it is that so often the most successful warriors rarely make the grade as leaders of men.Trade Review‘With this collection, Hastings is back on home territory, where he can bring his unique blend of skills as war reporter, and social as well as military historian to bear…This is one of the best and most diverting of his shorter pieces’ Evening Standard ‘All (of the stories) are corking…opinions are stated firmly and with big bold swings of the pendulum. His virtues are clarity and decisiveness – greatly to be admired when it comes to making clear, for the lay reader, roughly what is going on in the fiendishly complex and bloody engagements he describes.’ Spectator ‘A wonderfully eclectic selection…Hastings has written a marvellous book. Wry perceptive and engaging, it lays bare the curious mix of character traits – good and bad – that a successful warrior requires.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘His brisk prose has the qualities of his warriors: clear, decisive, forceful…“Warriors” will enthral everyone.’ Daily Telegraph ‘Brilliant…Hastings combines his consummate skill as a writer with passages of descriptive brilliance to provide a book for the ordinary citizen…He captures the commitment of the fighting servicemen and women…in language that is powerful yet eminently comprehensible. This is a book to entertain.’ Sunday Times
£11.69
HarperCollins Publishers English Food A Social History of England Told
Book SynopsisAn absolute gem' Sunday TimesA mouthwatering history' The GuardianIn this delicious history of Britain's food traditions, Diane Purkiss invites readers on a unique journey through the centuries, exploring the development of recipes and rituals for mealtimes such as breakfast, lunch, and dinner, to show how food has been both a reflection of and inspiration for social continuity and change.Purkiss uses the story of food as a revelatory device to chart changing views on class, gender, and tradition through the ages. Sprinkled throughout with glorious details of historical quirks trial by ordeal of bread, a fondness for small beer' and a war-time ice-cream substitute called hokey pokey' made from parsnips this book is both an education and an entertainment.English Food explores the development of the coffee trade and the birth of London's coffee houses, where views were exchanged on politics, art, and literature. Purkiss introduces the first breeders of British beef and reveals how cattTrade Review Praise for English Food : ‘An absolute gem… English Food is a fabulous read. I devoured it with gusto… My review copy will find a permanent place on my bookshelves… a richly entertaining and enlightening social history of England… Superb’ Sunday Times, Christopher Hart ‘Every page brings astonishing revelation… acerbic, witty, opinionated and devoid of pomposity… This book is about food, but it’s more importantly about how food defines us’ The Times, Gerald DeGroot ‘A mouthwatering history… A sumptuous survey of English cuisine leaves no morsel untasted… liberally seasoned throughout with literary references, from Anglo-Saxon poetry to Michael Ondaatje… fascinating… There’s an awful lot of good stuff to get your teeth into here’ The Guardian, Felicity Cloake ‘What a delectable banquet of a book this is… This magnificently readable and engaging book (which is also very generously illustrated) sets the record straight and should whet appetites for the attentive, seasonal cooking and gamier flavours of the past’ Literary Review ‘[A] fantastic book’ Evening Standard ‘A remarkable book, scholarly, entertaining and fascinating. Purkiss is extraordinarily well read, articulate, and writes beautifully. She goes under the skirts of convention to strip bare the many presumptions that surround what we eat and why. Mandatory reading for anyone involved, however peripherally, in food and what we now refer to as the food chain. Simply a brilliant work’The Guild of Food Writers Food Book Award judges
£22.50
Penguin Books Ltd Kissinger 19231968 The Idealist
Book Synopsis''Riveting ... this will be his masterpiece'' - Andrew Roberts, The New York Times''For big, bold and compelling, it is impossible to ignore Kissinger'' - John Bew, New Statesman, Books of the Year ''This is a superb history of the modern world as well as a biography of Kissinger ... a tour de force'' William Shawcross, The TimesNo American statesman has been as revered and as reviled as Henry Kissinger. Hailed by some as the indispensable man, whose advice has been sought by every president from John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush, Kissinger has also attracted immense hostility from critics who have cast him as an amoral Machiavellian - the ultimate cold-blooded realist.In this remarkable new book, the first of two volumes, Niall Ferguson has created an extraordinary panorama of Kissinger''s world, and a paradigm-shifting reappraisal of the man. Only through knowledge of Kissinger''s early life Trade ReviewThis will be his masterpiece -- Andrew Roberts * New York Times *I acquired valuable knowledge, elegantly conveyed -- Paul Johnson * Standpoint Magazine *The book illustrates just what an extraordinary human being Kissinger is -- Robert Service * Daily Telegraph *A work of engrossing scholarship * The Economist *this is a superb history of the modern world as well as a biography of Kissinger... Ferguson's tour de force shows that because Kissinger was a refugee from horror he understood from the day he first saw the Statue of Liberty that US engagement is vital to the peaceful development of the world -- William Shawcross * The Times *Ferguson is undoubtedly persuasive in presenting the young Kissinger as a man of ideals as well as ideas. His advantage as the authorised biographer, deployed with full force, has been access to a vast mass of previously unseen private correspondence that reveals his subject as nothing like the calucating cold fish of legend -- Marcus Tanner * Independent *With his usual meticulous research, Ferguson is master of all his work surveys. At least as important, he writes in an unobtrusive but compelling style that carries the reader along with unforced ease. Even on its own, the first volume of Ferguson's life of Kissinger is a great work about a great man by - it has to be admitted - a great historian. It should be read, and enjoyed, by every serious student of the history of our times -- Sherard Cowper-Coles * Spectator *For big, bold and compelling, it is impossible to ignore Kissinger - 1923-1968: the idealist (Allen Lane), the first volume of Niall Ferguson's biography of Henry Kissinger, which asks us to reconsider America's best-known "realist" as more Kantian than Machiavellian, more Castlereagh than Meternich, at least up to 1968, when President Nixon first granted the Harvard academic high office. -- John Bew * New Statesman *Some might question whether Ferguson really needs 1000 pages to tell half of Kissinger's life. Other will revel in the wealth of detail on this most controversial of American statesman -- Bee Wilson * Sunday Times *a formidably detailed, closely argued study of the making of one of the giants of 20th-century foreign policy -- Gideon Rachman * FT *
£17.09
Penguin Books Ltd Alexander the Great
Book SynopsisFrom award-winning historian Robin Lane Fox, Alexander the Great searches through the mass of conflicting evidence and legend to focus on Alexander as a man of his own time. Tough, resolute, fearless, Alexander was a born warrior and ruler of passionate ambition who understood the intense adventure of conquest and of the unknown. When he died in 323 BC aged thirty-two, his vast empire comprised more than two million square miles, spanning from Greece to India. His achievements were unparalleled - he had excelled as leader to his men, founded eighteen new cities and stamped the face of Greek culture on the ancient East. The myth he created is as potent today as it was in the ancient world. Combining historical scholarship and acute psychological insight, Alexander the Great brings this colossal figure vividly to life. ''So enjoyable and well-written ... Fox''s book became my main guide through Alexander''s amazing story''
£15.29
Penguin Books Ltd Two Lives of Charlemagne Penguin Classics
Book SynopsisTwo revealingly different accounts of the life of the most important figure of the Roman EmpireCharlemage, known as the father of Europe, was one of the most powerful and dynamic of all medieval rulers. The biographies brought together here provide a rich and varied portrait of the king from two perspectives: that of Einhard, a close friend and adviser, and of Notker, a monastic scholar and musician writing fifty years after Charlemagne's death.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.
£10.44
C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd The Inordinately Strange Life of Dyce Sombre:
Book SynopsisThe descendant of German and French Catholic mercenaries, a Scots Presbyterian subaltern, and their secluded Indian wives, David Ochterlony Dyce Sombre defied all classification in the North Indian principality where he was raised. Add to these influences an adoptive mother who began as a Muslim courtesan and rose to become the Catholic ruler of a strategically-placed, cosmopolitan little kingdom, which her foster son was destined to inherit, and you have the origins of a fascinating life that reflects many of the Romantic, political, and colonial trends of a century. As heir to the throne, Sombre took great advantage of the sensuous pleasures of privilege, but he lost his kingdom to the British and went into exile in London with his very considerable fortune. Despite being Indian and Catholic, Sombre married the daughter of an English Protestant Viscount, who was a prominent defender of slavery. Sombre bought himself election as a British MP but then was expelled for corruption. His treatment of his aristocratic wife led to his arrest and confinement as a Chancery lunatic. Fleeing to France, Sombre spent years trying to reclaim his sanity and his fortune from those among the British establishment who had done him down. In this thrilling biography, Michael H. Fisher recovers Sombre's strange story and the echoes of his case for modern conceptions of race, privilege and empire.Trade ReviewA wonderfully entertaining biography of a man of great wealth who spent the last decade of his life in legal limbo, trapped in a Chancery court case that hinged on his condition as a lunatic. That would be remarkable enough for the story of any Victorian gentleman, but the subject of this fascinating narrative is David Ochterlony Dyce Sombre, a gross, corpulent and rakish man who inherited the fabulous wealth of the Begum of the principality of Sardhana in India... In Fisher's writing [Dyce Sombre] comes to life as vividly as the best fictional creation, and in enjoying that human complexity, the reader also learns much about the absurdity and cruelty of Victorian family law. * Times Higher Education *Fisher presents a compelling story, one that will fascinate any scholar interested in Britain's Indian Empire or its legal consequences. -- Mary Ellis Gibson, Elizabeth Rosenthal Distinguished Excellence Professor, Department of English, University of North Carolina at GreensboroMichael H. Fisher has written a fascinating book, deeply probing questions of nationality, sanity and race with a wide knowledge of legal and medical issues. He has located over 700 published articles about this strange man, has searched volumes of court records and combed what remains of Dyce Sombre's private diary. * Times Literary Supplement *This is a quintessentially nineteenth-century story that constantly reminded me of the kinds of entanglements so central to Dickens' stories in Bleak House. The tale has a novelistic quality that Fisher adroitly brings alive even as his scholarly voice reminds us of the bigger stories that lie behind this tragic life. -- Professor Philippa Levine, University of California, BerkeleyThis is a remarkable and incredibly engaging story, one that focuses not only on Sombre's controversial career in Britain, but also his Indian childhood and his subsequent movements through the Malay Straits, Singapore, Macao, China, continental Europe and the Ottoman Empire. Sombre is a wonderful protagonist and Professor Fisher should be lauded for recovering the richness and strangeness of this remarkable individual's life. -- Professor Tony Ballantyne, Washington University, St Louis
£22.50
John Murray Press Young Lawrence: A Portrait of the Legend as a
Book SynopsisT. E. Lawrence was one of the most charismatic characters of the First World War; a young archaeologist who fought with the Arabs and wrote an epic and very personal account of their revolt against the Turks in Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Yet this was not the first book to carry that iconic title. In 1914 the man who would become Lawrence of Arabia burnt the first Seven Pillars of Wisdom, a manuscript in which he described his adventures in the Middle East during the five years before the war. Anthony Sattin uncovers the story Lawrence wanted to conceal: the truth of his birth, his tortuous relationship with a dominant mother, his deep affection for an Arab boy, the intimate details of the extraordinary journeys he took through the region with which his name is forever connected and the personal reasons that drove him from being a student to becoming an archaeologist and a spy.Young Lawrence is the first book to focus on the story of T. E. Lawrence in his twenties, before the war, during the period he looked back on as his golden years. Using first-hand sources, museum records and Foreign Office documents, Sattin sets these adventures against the background of corrosive conflicts in Libya and the Balkans. He shows the simmering defiance of Arabs, Armenians and Kurds under Turkish domination, while uncovering the story of an exceptional young man searching for happiness, love and his place in the world until war changed his life forever.Trade ReviewI enjoyed Young Lawrence very much . . . while Lawrence is not a boy in Anthony Sattin's splendid book he clearly prefigures Lawrence of Arabia - a conscious striving towards becoming a hero, and a bold exploration not only of the Middle East, but of himself * Michael Korda, author of Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia *Sattin's unique portrait reveals an itinerant scholar adventurously immersing himself in the history, peoples, and landscapes of the Near East, the chrysalis of the brilliant figure soon to emerge: Lawrence of Arabia * Steve Kemper, author of A Labyrinth of Kingdoms *Through meticulous research and crackling prose, Sattin charts the youthful passions and influences - and not a few family and personal secrets - that helped create the future Lawrence of Arabia, and done so in an account so well-written that is hard to put down. An absolutely indispensable read for anyone hoping to understand the evolution of one of the most beguiling and romantic figures of the modern age * Scott Anderson *An intelligent and readable addition to the existing corpus of biographical works about Lawrence * Andrew Lycett, Literary Review *An enjoyable book and a welcome addition to the literature on Lawrence * The Spectator *In Young Lawrence, Anthony Sattin has struck gold . . . balancing a lively, novelistic approach with genuine biographical inquiry in a very readable book * Giles Foden, Conde Nast Traveller *One of the best biographies to read in October * Independent *Sattin has written a compelling account of a young man learning to live according to his dreams * Observer *A valuable insight into a fascinating young man before he disappeared into legend * Scotsman *Sattin somehow manages to balance a lively, novelistic approach with genuine biographical inquiry among hundreds if not thousands of sources . . . a serious but very readable book which would make a great Christmas present * Conde Nast Traveller *Anthony Sattin, an Arabophile himself, is the perfect writer to bring us Lawrence's early life . . . a gripping, well researched book, adding an insightful portrait of young Lawrence before his more famous achievements * Compass Magazine *A masterful account of the beginnings of a unique man * Kirkus Reviews *This highly readable book never lacks for the big story but it also does not let that history lose the hero * New York Journal of Books *It's fascinating to see how much of Lawrence's later, singular personality is evident in his early life * BBC History *Sattin's own travel writing experience, lends this detailed biography of Lawrence's early years an immediacy, pace and sense of place that is as enjoyable as it is revelatory, as telling about Lawrence's personal relationship and motivations as it is about Middle Eastern history * Traveller *A quirky but rigorous biographical study * The Economist *[Anthony Sattin] spent more than twenty years travelling in the Middle East and his own passion for the place and people illuminates his writing. It's as if he knew Lawrence personally * Toronto Star *Lawrence's youthful enthusiasms, aspirations and loves are brilliantly reconstructed in Sattin's compelling and sympathetic book * TLS *Sattin makes a superb job of reconstructing that lost record of Lawrence's life before he became a war hero . . . Sattin is excellent on the troubled history of the region, and the 'what ifs' are enough to make your heart break * Independent *Anthony Sattin knows a good story when he sees one. While most of Lawrence's biographers focus heavily on the war period, Sattin has grasped the importance of the years Lawrence spent in the Middle East beforehand, essential preparation for what followed. He has filled the ominous political background that Lawrence knew, but hardly mentioned in his letters home. As a travel writer enlarging on the writings of a forerunner, Sattin also often enriches Lawrence's account. I thoroughly enjoyed the result -- Jeremy Wilson, authorised Lawrence biographer
£10.44
Penguin Putnam Inc Storm of Steel
Book Synopsis
£16.15
Little, Brown Book Group One of Us: The Story of a Massacre and its
Book SynopsisTHE STORY OF ANDERS BREIVIK AND THE INSPIRATION FOR THE NETFLIX FILM 22 JULY, FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE BOOKSELLER OF KABULOn 22 July 2011 Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 of his fellow Norwegians in a terrorist atrocity that shocked the world. One of Us is the definitive account of the massacres and the subsequent trial. But more than that, it is the compelling story of Anders Breivik and a select group of his victims. As we follow the path to their inevitable collision, it becomes clear just what was lost in that one day.SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA NON-FICTION DAGGER 2015A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
£12.34
Batsford Ltd Guy Fawkes & The Gunpowder Plot
Book SynopsisBranded one of the greatest villains of all time, the name Guy Fawkes is synonymous with a spectacular crime that never was – the Gunpowder Plot. But who was this young man, caught up in a world of intrigue, treachery, betrayal, spies, double agents and informers? Why did he become involved in this plan to bring down the government and monarchy? Who were his fellow conspirators? And who was really responsible for orchestrating this would-be act of treason? Unravel these mysteries, discover why the scheme failed and the eventual fate of the doomed plotters in this informative and finely illustrated Pitkin Guide.
£7.23
Batsford Ltd Alan Turing: The Life of a Genius
Book SynopsisAlan Turing was an extraordinary man who crammed into a life of only 42 years the careers of mathematician, codebreaker, computer scientist and biologist. His codebreaking work at Bletchley Park was so significant it helped to shorten the Second World War, and with Tommy Flowers he built the first computer. A man ahead of his time, many of his theories and calculations are still relevant today. Often believed to be an eccentric loner, recent research by his nephew, Dermot Turing, has unearthed a fresh perspective, and here his story is condensed into a short, accessible Pitkin guide.
£7.23
Canongate Books Queen Of Science: Personal Recollections of Mary
Book SynopsisBorn in Jedburgh in 1780, Mary Fairfax was the daughter of one of Nelson's captains, and in common with most girls of her time and station she was given the kind of education which prizes gentility over ability. Nevertheless, she taught herself algebra in secret, and made her reputation in celestial mechanics with her 1831 translation of Laplace's Mécanique céleste as The Mechanism of the Heavens.As she was equally interested in art, literature and nature Somerville's lively memoirs give a fascinating picture of her life and times from childhood in Burntisland to international recognition and retirement in Naples. She tells of her friendship with Maria Edgeworth and of her encounters with Scott and Fenimore Cooper. She remembers comets and eclipses, high society in London and Paris, Charles Babbage and his calculating engine, the Risorgimento in Italy and the eruption of Vesuvius.Selected by her daughter and first published in 1973, these are the memoirs of a remarkable woman who became one of the most gifted mathematicians and scientists of the nineteenth century. Oxford's Somerville College was named after her, and the present volume, re-edited by Dorothy McMillan, draws on manuscripts owned by the college and offers the first unexpurgated edition of these revelatory writings.
£12.60
Vintage Publishing Nancy: The Story of Lady Astor
Book SynopsisIn 1919, Nancy Astor became the first woman to take a seat in parliament.She was not what had been expected. Far from a virago who had suffered for the cause of female suffrage, she was already near the centre of the ruling society that had for so long resisted the political upheavals of the early twentieth century, having married into the family of one of the richest men in the world. She was not even British. She would prove to be a trailblazer and beacon for the generations of women who would follow her into Parliament.This new biography charts Nancy Astor's incredible story, from penury in the American South, to a lifestyle of the most immense riches, from the luxury of Edwardian England, through the 'Jazz Age', and on towards the Second World War: a world of great country estates, lavish town houses and the most sumptuous entertainments, peopled by the most famous and powerful names of the age. But hers was not only the life of power, glamour and easy charm: it was also defined by principles and bravery, by war and sacrifice, by love and bitter disputes. With glorious, page-turning brio, Adrian Fort has brought to life this restless, controversial American dynamo, an unforgettable woman who left a deep and lasting imprint on the political life of our nation.Trade ReviewFort casts fresh light on a remarkable woman, whose toughness and independence of opinion allowed this outsider to chart a new course for women. * Good Book Guide *The spirited story of the indomitable girl from America who married a millionaire and fought fiercely to become Britain’s first female MP * Sunday Times *Fort’s well researched biography is excellent -- Janet Christie * Scotsman *Adrian Fort does justice to her energetic, forceful and outspoken personality -- Christopher Silvester * Daily Express *A masterful and compassionate book, every bit as multi-facet as the extraordinary woman * Country Life *
£14.24
Quercus Publishing The Borgias: History's Most Notorious Dynasty
Book SynopsisThe Borgias have become a byword for pride, lust, cruelty, avarice, splendour and venomous intrigue. An inspiration for many works of fiction, most famously Mario Puzo's The Godfather, they have aroused abomination and fascination in almost equal measure, while their patronage of the arts created some of the great masterpieces of the Renaissance. From the powerful, merciless Rodrigo Borgia, better known as Pope Alexander VI, to the beautiful Lucrezia and the debauched and murderous Cesare, Mary Hollingsworth's account of the dynasty's dramatic rise from its Spanish roots to the heights of Renaissance society forms a compelling tale of brutality, incest, unparalleled corruption and extortionate greed.Table of ContentsFlorins and Ducats. Introduction: The Borgias - a family and its reputation. Alonso de Borja - From royal secretary to servant of Rome, 1414-55. Calixtus III - The first Borgia pope, 1455-58. The Borgia nephews - Cardinals and captain-generals, 1458-71. Rodrigo Borgia - New titles, new relationships, new wealth, 1471-84. Rodrigo Borgia - From eminence to pre-eminence, 1484-92. Alexander VI - The second Borgia pope and his family, 1493-97. Alexander VI, Cesare and Lucrezia - A pope, a warrior and a widow, 1498-1500. Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia - Conquests in battle and in love, 1501-03. Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia - The duke and duchess, 1503-19. The Borgia descendants - Dukes, cardinals and saints, 1520 and after. Bibliography and Sources. Endnotes. Picture credits. Index.
£11.69
Fonthill Media Ltd Adolf Hitler: The Curious and Macabre Anecdotes
Book SynopsisAdolf Hitler was born in Austria in April 1889, and shot himself in a bunker in Berlin in April 1945 with Russian soldiers beating at the door, surrounded by the ruins of the country he had vowed to restore to greatness. Adolf Hitler: The Curious and Macabre Anecdotes - part biography, part miscellany, part historical overview - presents the life and times of der Fuhrer in a unique and compelling manner. The early life of the loner son of an Austrian customs official gave little clue as to his later years. As a decorated, twice-wounded soldier of the First World War, through shrewd manipulation of Germany's offended national pride after the war, Hitler ascended rapidly through the political system, rousing the masses behind him with a thundering rhetoric that amplified the nation's growing resentment and brought him the adulation of millions. By the age of 44, he had become both a millionaire with secret bank accounts in Switzerland and Holland, and the unrivalled leader of Germany, whose military might he had resurrected; six years later, he provoked the world to war. Patrick Delaforce's book is a masterly assessment of Hitler's life, career and beliefs, drawn not only from its subject's own writings, speeches, conversation, poetry and art, but also from the accounts of those who knew him, loved him, or loathed him. The journey of an ordinary young man to callous dictator and architect of the 'Final Solution' makes for provocative and important - thought not always comfortable - reading.
£11.69
£18.93
Everyman Marco Polo Travels
Book SynopsisMarco Polo set off on his travels from Venice as a young man in 1271, and returned home in 1295 after spending 24 years away, 17 of them in China. He isone of the few early adventurers whose name nearly everyone knows. His book was one of the best-loved works of the Middle Ages, and has remained popular ever since. At a time when China is again assuming global importance, his account of China under the Mongol emperor Khubilai Khan - the dazzlingly splendid capital in Beijing, the great southern metropolis of Hangzhou - is a classic reminder of the antiquity of Chinese power and civilization.Marco Polo also portrays countries and cities all along the trade route from the Mediterranean to Mongolia. He reminds us that Iraq's present suffering is not unique by relating the story of the attack on Baghdad by Mongol forces in 1258. He conveys the daunting prospect of the deserts of central Asia and the distant charms of Yunnan. And he reminds us of the huge merchant ships dominating China's trade with foreign countries, ships that far outstripped their European counterparts. He even writes about Japan, the first European to do so. His book was often thought of as a book of marvels, but one of its striking features to a contemporary reader is its clarity, realism and tolerance. As this new edition shows, he sometimes exaggerates, but his reputation for making things up is quite unfair, as Colin Thubron makes clear in his introduction. The original manuscript of Marco Polo's book is lost, and in the many later versions names and other details have become so garbled that it has been said that his itineraries are impossible to follow. This new Everyman edition shows this need not be so. It explains clearly all the references in the book, and shows in detail with new maps the routes described from Venice to Beijing, from Beijing to Burma, and from Beijing to south-east China. It also provides an up-to-date history of the book and the controversies surrounding it.
£14.39
Haus Publishing Major
Book SynopsisJohn Major succeeded Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister, but his initial popularity soon faded with the devaluation of the sterling, his achievement at Maastricht which brought division to his party and he oversaw the longest recession since WW2.
£9.49
Haus Publishing Salisbury
Book SynopsisThis is a biography of the first Prime Minister of the 20th Century during the height of the British Empire.
£9.99
Haus Publishing Campbell-Bannerman
Book SynopsisRoy Hattersley brings the politician's to this concise history of the life of Henry Campbell-Bannerman, widely considered to be an ineffective Prime Minister; he was in fact the liberal of the 20th century to occupy the post.
£9.49
NMSE - Publishing Ltd Mary Slessor: The Barefoot Missionary
Book SynopsisThe story of the Dundee mill girl who, inspired by David Livingstone, became a missionary herself in Calabar, a part of Africa known as 'the White Man's Grave'. There she adopted many children who would otherwise have been left to die; when her mediating skills were recognised she became the British Empire's first woman magistrate. Her name lives on in the Mary Slessor Foundation, a charity working in Africa to improve health, skills training and facilitate agricultural projects. Mary Slessor was one of the most remarkable Scotswomen of any generation and the first to be depicted on a Scottish banknote. First published in 2001; this edition has had some material updated and two replacement photographs.Table of Contents1. Early Days in Dundee 2. First Impressions of Calabar 3. A Real Missionary at Last 4. Tragic Prelude to the Okoyong 5. 'It's a Gunboat they need, not a Missionary' 6. The Power of Witchcraft 7. 'The Civilising Influence of that Admirable Lady, Miss Slessor 8. A Most Unlikely Vice-consul 9. Gain and Loss 10. The Aftermath of the Aro Expedition of 1901 11. The British Empire's First Woman Magistrate 12. The End of her Journey
£7.99
John Wiley & Sons Inc The Last Great Frenchman
Book SynopsisCritical acclaim for The Last Great Frenchman This is a splendid popular biography . . . recounted with verveand anecdotal warmth, along with fresh appraisals of de Gaulle''scareer as soldier, politician, and head of state. --PublishersWeekly. Highly readable. . . . It is to Williams'' credit that he is ableto get so close to such a prickly personality. --San FranciscoChronicle Charles Williams has matched a great subject by something near toa great book. --Daily Telegraph (London) Marvelous vignettes. . . . Williams tells his story with pace andskill. --Martin GilbertTable of ContentsPartial table of contents: CHILD. A Parisian Boy from Lille. The Steps of St Ignatius. SOLDIER. The Army of the Republic. A War to End Wars. Polish Interlude. Petain's Chicken. A Toe in Political Waters. The Cut of the Sickle. Is He a New Napoleon? EXILE. Laying the Corner Stone. Afric's Sunny Fountains. Who is Fighting Whom? The Eagle and the Bear Join the Party. Resistance on All Fronts. Mediterranean Storms. The Darlan Deal. From Anfa to Algiers. Waiting for Overlord. HERO. A Parisian Summer. Government Must Govern. POLITICIAN. With Peace Comes Politics. The Gamble that Failed. PHILOSOPHER. A Certain Idea of France. On Public and Private Life. HEAD OF STATE. The New Agenda. Baiting Uncle Sam. The Ides of May. Epilogue: Return to Colombey. Notes. Select Bibliography. Acknowledgements. Index.
£17.84
University of California Press Fulk Nerra the NeoRoman Consul 9871040 A
Book SynopsisThe biography of an important medieval ruler who built a state in the west of the French Kingdom which provided a foundation for the vast Angevin empire later constructed by his descendants. The study shows how Nerra adopted Roman ideas and tactics in order to consolidate his power.
£49.60
University of California Press The Papers of Martin Luther King Jr. Volume V
Book SynopsisIllustrates the sophistication and effectiveness of Martin Luther King, Jr, one of America's best-known advocates for peace and justice, and the organizations he led. This book also look into the surprising emergence of the sit-in protests that sparked the social struggles of the 1960s.Trade Review"The editors continue their excellent work. One has a poignant sense of King at the end of his twenties, famous, with a full diary, innumerable demands, a knife scar above his heart, and an unfulfilled mission in his soul." - Peter J. Ling, American and Canadian Studies, University of Nottingham; "One of those rare publishing events that generate as much excitement in the cloistered confines of the academy as they do in the general public." - Ebony; "A magnificently produced scholarly achievement." - Philadelphia Inquirer; "A landmark of 20th century history." - Chicago Sun-Times; For all currently available volumes of The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr., please visit http://go.ucpress.edu/mlk"Table of ContentsList of Papers List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction Chronology Editorial Principles and Practices List of Abbreviations THE PAPERS Calendar of Documents Index
£50.40
