Biography: historical, political and military Books
The History Press Ltd Mrs Pankhurst's Bodyguard: On the Trail of
Book Synopsis‘Beautifully told, this book brings a fascinating and compelling story to a wider public. A “must read” for those interested in women’s lives in the past.’ - June Purvis, Professor (Emerita) of Women’s and Gender History, University of Portsmouth, UK‘This important and absorbing book presents a unique history of Kitty Marshall. This is first-class history and a first-rate thriller.’ - Professor Clive Bloom, author of A History of Britain’s Fight for a RepublicKatherine ‘Kitty’ Marshall was destined to break with convention. Brought up in a socially active family, her inherent rebellious streak came into play in 1901, when she daringly divorced her husband and joined the newly founded Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), campaigning for women’s suffrage.In 1904, she married solicitor Arthur Willoughby Marshall and the couple soon became a powerhouse team in the movement: Arthur defending the suffragettes in court while Kitty, trained in jujitsu and a member of the WSPU’s elite team ‘the Bodyguard’, helped her close friend Mrs Pankhurst evade the clutches of the authorities under the infamous Cat and Mouse Act. All the while, Kitty was under the watchful eye of the Metropolitan Police, and in particular Detective Inspector Ralph Kitchener, who frequently encountered the Marshalls in his work trailing the suffragette ‘mice’.Following events as they unfolded on both sides, Mrs Pankhurst’s Bodyguard is a gripping account of Kitty and Arthur’s incredible work and their fight for political equality.Trade Review'Godfrey tells the story with a keen eye for historical context and an innate understanding of the world that Kitty, her fellow suffragettes and the police who sought them inhabited.' -- All About History * All About History *'...Kitty was an unstoppable force, yet she has been largely forgotten. Acquaint yourself with her story in this gripping read.' -- This England * This England *
£19.54
Canelo Hitler as Military Commander
Book SynopsisWas Hitler 'the greatest strategic genius of all time' as Nazi propaganda had it, or just an amateur?Why was the startling success of his campaigns in Poland and France followed by the blundering mistakes in Russia, North Africa and France? Might Germany even have won the war without Hitler's continual and disastrous interference?In this extraordinary history, John Strawson answers these and other questions by showing how Hitler's insatiable preoccupation with war and conquest was translated into reality. While the power of a revitalized German army came from Hitler, Strawson examines the Fuhrer's eccentric use of the most formidable war machine the world had ever seen.This lucid story of fire and incompetence is brought alive by the accounts of those who served Hitler both on his staff and as field commanders. Perfect for readers of Ian Kershaw and Anthony Beevor.
£11.69
HarperCollins Publishers My Heart is My Own: The Life of Mary Queen of
Book SynopsisA long-overdue and dramatic reinterpretation of the life of Mary, Queen of Scots by one of the leading historians at work today. She was crowned Queen of Scotland at nine months of age, and Queen of France at sixteen years; at eighteen she ascended the throne that was her birthright and began ruling one of the most fractious courts in Europe, riven by religious conflict and personal lust for power. She rode out at the head of an army in both victory and defeat; saw her second husband assassinated, and married his murderer. At twenty-five she entered captivity at the hands of her rival queen, from which only death would release her. The life of Mary Stuart is one of unparalleled drama and conflict. From the labyrinthine plots laid by the Scottish lords to wrest power for themselves, to the efforts made by Elizabeth's ministers to invalidate Mary's legitimate claim to the English throne, John Guy returns to the archives to explode the myths and correct the inaccuracies that surround this most fascinating monarch. He also explains a central mystery: why Mary would have consented to marry – only three months after the death of her second husband, Lord Darnley – the man who was said to be his killer, the Earl of Bothwell. And, more astonishingly, he solves, through careful re-examination of the Casket Letters, the secret behind Darnley's spectacular assassination at Kirk o'Field. With great pathos, Guy illuminates how the imprisoned Mary's despair led to a reckless plot against Elizabeth – and thus to her own execution. The portrait that emerges is not of a political pawn or a manipulative siren, but of a shrewd and charismatic young ruler who relished power and, for a time, managed to hold together a fatally unstable country. MY HEART IS MY OWN is a compelling work of historical scholarship that offers radical new interpretations of an ancient story.Trade Review'Fascinating… A book based on gold-standard research, the kind of thing that puts most popular history writing to shame.' Kathryn Hughes, Mail on Sunday 'Certain to be a bestseller, and deservedly so. Rarely have first-class scholarship and first-class storytelling been so effectively combined.' John Adamson, Daily Telegraph 'An absorbing biography … meticulously researched… scholarly and intriguing.'Peter Ackroyd, The Times 'A biography that reads as thrillingly as a detective story, and is rich in details and authoritative in its analysis.' Miranda Seymour, Sunday Times
£13.49
Batsford Ltd Anne Boleyn
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 *
£6.00
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
£9.99
Little, Brown Book Group With Their Backs To The World: Portraits from
Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of THE BOOKSELLER OF KABUL comes a remarkable exploration of the lives of ordinary Serbs under the regime of Slobodan Milosevic-during the dramatic events leading up to his fall, and finally in the troubled years that have followed. Asne Seierstad traveled extensively through Serbia between 1999 and 2004, following the lives of people from across the political spectrum. Her moving and perceptive account follows nationalists, Titoists, Yugonostalgics, rock stars, fugitives and poets. Seierstad brings her acclaimed attention to detail to bear on the lives of those whom she encounters in With Their Backs to the World, as she creates a kaleidoscopic portrait of a nation made up of so many different-and often conflicting-hopes, dreams, and points of view.
£10.44
Little, Brown Book Group Beyond These Walls: Escaping the Warsaw Ghetto -
Book Synopsis'Absorbing . . . testaments such as Janina Bauman's are important and should never be allowed to fade away. The drama of Anne Frank is rightly always before us but the equally vital stories of those who suffered but survived need to be listened to with just as much attention' MARGARET FORSTER'A profound and moving book which everyone ought to read' ALAN SILLITOE, NEW STATESMANJanina Bauman was a year older than Anne Frank when the Second World War began but, unlike The Diary of Anne Frank, this is a story of survival.When Hitler's decree forced her family into the Warsaw Ghetto, Janina, an intelligent, lively girl, suddenly found herself in a cramped flat hiding with other Jewish families. At first even curfews and the casual cruelty meted out by the German occupiers could not dim her passion for books, boys and romance. Then came the raids, and Janina with her sister and mother, had to keep on the move, hiding in the ruins of the ghetto to avoid being one of thousands rounded up every day and deported to the camps. Their escape to the 'Aryan' side was followed by two years in hiding, taking shelter with those willing to help them and living in constant fear of betrayal.Told through her teenage diaries, giving her story a rare immediacy, this is the extraordinary tale of a passionate young woman's courage and survival.Trade ReviewI found it absorbing . . . testaments such as Janina Bauman's are important and should never be allowed to fade away. The drama of Anne Frank is rightly always before us but the equally vital stories of those who suffered but survived need to be listened to with just as much attention * Margaret Foster *A profound and moving book which everyone ought to read -- Alan Sillitoe * New Statesman *A magnificent testimony to the people of the ghetto ... a profound autobiographical meditation * New Society *A deeply moving but surprisingly unselfpitying book, a real pleasure to read * Times Educational Supplement *A writer who has left an indelible mark on the literature of the Holocaust ... her moving testimonies characteristically non-judgmental and free of bitterness -- Lydia Bauman * Guardian *I found it absorbing . . . testaments such as Janina Bauman's are important and should never be allowed to fade away. The drama of Anne Frank is rightly always before us but the equally vital stories of those who suffered but survived need to be listened to with just as much attention * Margaret Forster *A profound and moving book which everyone ought to read * Alan Sillitoe, New Statesman *'A magnificent testimony to the people of the ghetto ... a profound autobiographical meditation * NEW SOCIETY *A deeply moving but surprisingly unselfpitying book, a real pleasure to read * TES *
£10.44
Little, Brown Book Group The Angel Of Grozny: Life Inside Chechnya - from
Book Synopsis'The best book in English about one of the world's most brutal and under-reported conflicts ... fascinating' Christina Lamb, Sunday TimesIn the early hours of New Year's Eve 1994, Russian troops invaded the Republic of Chechnya, plunging the country into a prolonged and bloody conflict. Asne Seierstad reported regularly on the war, describing its effects on those trying to live their daily lives amidst the violence. In 2006 and 2007 she returned, travelling in secret, in constant danger. The tragedy of Chechnya had continued but the world had moved on. In a broken and devastated society she meets the orphans, the wounded, the lost - and tells their stories at last.'I devoured this in a few hours - a powerful book of heartbreaking yet flamboyant reportage from a forgotten hell' SIMON SEBAG-MONTEFIORE'Invaluable ... she has a real eye for detail and the human heart of a story' OBSERVERTrade ReviewThe best book in English about one of the world's most brutal and under-reported conflicts ... a fascinating, if often horrifying, read * Christina Lamb, Sunday Times *Invaluable ... she has a real eye for detail and the human heart of a story * Observer *Touching stories of loss, survival and bravery ... an invaluable account of the stormy conflicts that have blighted the area for centuries * Time Out *Impossible to ignore ... [An] important book * Guardian *
£10.44
Vintage Publishing Marcus Aurelius: Warrior, Philosopher, Emperor
Book SynopsisMarcus Aurelius is the one great figure of antiquity who still speaks to us today, nearly 2,000 years after his death. A philosopher as well as an emperor, his was an extraordinary reign. He proved himself a great leader, protecting the Empire from Germans in the North and fighting the Parthians in the East, and his Meditations - compared by John Stuart Mill to the Sermon on the Mount - remains one of the most widely-read Classical books. Impeccably researched and vividly told, Frank McLynn's Marcus Aurelius is the definitive biography of a monumental historical figure.Trade ReviewA compendious and thought-provoking study -- Boris Johnson * The Mail on Sunday *Impressively well-researched and unfailingly engaging -- John Dillon * The Irish Times *McLynn has written a huge, erudite survey of the social, cultural, economic and political world of the second century AD rather than a mere biography of Marcus Aurelius...there is much to enjoy here and even more to be learned * Literary Review *By exposing the real Marcus Aurelius, this biography illuminates an important era of transition...it was under Marcus that the delicate balance was disturbed and this, too, is his legacy. -- Martin Empson * TLS *A flickering torch in the darkness, and with his fine biography, Frank McLynn tends the flame. -- Stephen McGinty * Scotsman *
£15.29
Vintage Publishing Nelson: The Sword of Albion
Book SynopsisThe Sword of Albion concludes the most comprehensive and intimate life of Nelson ever written, one that teems with a glittering array of sailors and civilians, heroes and villains, husbands, wives and lovers. Here are Nelson's famous victories at the battles of the Nile, Copenhagen and Trafalgar as well as his lesser-known yet equally gripping campaigns. But behind the military prowess is a man riven with paradoxes and schisms: the fighting admiral and the glory-hunter, the national hero and the indigent commoner, the family man and the adulterer. This is an epic, triumphant and tragic life, and a masterpiece of the biographer's art.Trade ReviewAn absolutely excellent book. Every bit is beautifully judged -- William Leith * Evening Standard *Sweeping, thrilling and psychologically acute, this second volume in John Sugden’s biography will hardly be bettered...this book is a monumental achievement. Some readers may be daunted by its length, but the investment of time and effort is unquestionably worth it... It is a tribute to Sugden’s skill that as Nelson lies stricken below desks, gasping for air, blood pouring into his chest, his officers biting back the tears and Hardy desperately wringing his hand, you pray that somehow, against all sense and reason, England’s greatest hero might just pull through -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *The Last eight years of his [Nelson’s] life dealt with in thrilling, monumental detail * Sunday Times *There isn’t the slightest hint of modishness in Sugden’s study, which not only has all the old-fashioned scholarly virtues but is also, in the time-honoured tradition of naval history, a thumping good read * Scotsman *John Sugden’s utterly epic Nelson: The Sword of Albion is the longest, richest, most absorbing biography I’ve ever read… Sugden’s book is of Tolstoyan dimensions -- Roger Lewis * Daily Mail *
£28.00
Quercus Publishing Martin Luther King
Book SynopsisMartin Luther King left an indelible mark on 20th-century American history through his leadership of the non-violent civil rights campaigns of the 1950s and 1960s. The election of Barack Obama as America's first black president in November 2008 has spawned a renewed interest in King's role as an agent and prophet of political change in the United States. Writing with verve and clarity but also with acute insight, Godfrey Hodgson traces King's life and career from his birth in Atlanta in 1929, through the campaigns that made possible the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, to his assassination in Memphis in 1968. Hodgson sheds light on every aspect of an extraordinary life: the Black Baptist milieu in which King grew up, his theology and political philosophy, his physical and moral courage, his insistence on the injustice of inequality, his campaigning energy, his repeated sexual infidelities. Martin Luther King is a rounded and fascinating portrait of a Christian prophet and the most brilliant orator of his age, the central message of whose life and ministry was that Americans would never be fully free until they accepted that black and white Americans must be equal.Table of ContentsA Dream Deferred. Sweet Auburn. A Higher Education. Sick and Tired. The Little Brown Ghost. Between Two Fires. From Albany to Oxford. In the City of Vulcan. The Tide Turns. Mississippi Burning. The Hinge. Walks on the Wide Side. Vietnam and Beyond. The Last Campaign. Detective Story. A Voice Crying in the Wilderness. Notes. Index.
£11.69
The Gresham Publishing Co. Ltd Nelson: Britain's Greatest Naval Commander
Book SynopsisVice Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson KB (1758 - 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. Admired for his leadership, strategy and tactics, he led many decisive British naval victories, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. Known for his bold actions, and sometimes disobeying his seniors, Nelson was taken into the hearts of the British people. This slightly built, battle-scarred, often vain man, of dubious private life and few known accomplishments beyond his profession, became a legendary figure in British history. When Admiral Horatio Nelson died, people who had never seen him wept because they felt they had lost someone special and irreplaceable. How that came about, this book describes. Nelson helped to capture Corsica and saw the battle of Calvi (where he lost the sight in his right eye). He later lost his right arm at the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1797. Nelson destroyed Napoleon's fleet at the Battle of the Nile in 1798, and thus gained a direct trade route to India. Over the period 1794 to 1805, under Nelson's leadership, the Royal Navy proved its supremacy over the French. Nelson's most famous engagement, at Cape Trafalgar, saved Britain from threat of invasion by Napoleon, but it would be his last. Before the battle on 21 October 1805, Nelson sent out the famous signal to his fleet 'England expects that every man will do his duty'. Killed by a French sniper just a few hours later, while leading the attack on the combined French and Spanish fleet, Nelson's body was preserved in brandy and transported back to England where he was given a state funeral. He is buried in St Paul's Cathedral, London.
£7.59
Spiramus Press Marylebone Lives: Rogues, Romantics, and Rebels -
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
£14.99
Helion & Company Memoirs of a Bush War Operator: Further Memoirs
Book Synopsis
£15.26
Scribe Publications King Richard: Nixon and Watergate: an American
Book SynopsisFrom an acclaimed British author, a sharply focused, riveting account — told from inside the White House — of the crucial days, hours, and moments when the Watergate conspiracy consumed, and ultimately toppled, a president. In January 1973, Richard Nixon was inaugurated after winning re-election in a historic landslide. But by April his presidency had fallen apart as the Watergate scandal metastasised into what White House counsel John Dean called ‘a full-blown cancer’. King Richard is the intimate, utterly absorbing narrative of the tension-packed hundred days when the Watergate burglars and their handlers in the administration turned on one another, revealing their direct connection to the White House. Drawing on thousands of hours of newly released taped recordings, Michael Dobbs takes us into the very heart of the conspiracy, recreating these dramatic events in unprecedentedly vivid detail. He captures the growing paranoia of the principal players, and their desperate attempts to deflect blame, as the noose tightened around them and the daily pressures became increasingly unbearable. At the centre of this spellbinding drama is Nixon himself, a man whose strengths — particularly his determination to win at all costs — were also his fatal flaws. Structured like a classical tragedy with a uniquely American twist, this is an epic and deeply human story of ambition, power, and betrayal.Trade Review‘The book is excellent at painting the scene … I’ve often been asked to recommend a good, brisk and readable single-volume account of Watergate. I think in future I will recommend this one.' -- Daniel Finkelstein * The Times *‘Donald Trump had tweets but Nixon had tapes: 3,700 hours of them … They have proved a goldmine for Michael Dobbs … whose elegantly written book, King Richard — Nixon and Watergate: an American tragedy, zooms in on the hundred days that followed Nixon’s second inauguration and led to his downfall.’ -- David Smith * The Guardian *‘Rich and kaleidoscopic … In [Dobbs'] wry and absorbing narrative I sensed an ironic dimension … A portrait of a petulant, insecure man who fancied himself king, or something like it … King Richard distinguishes itself in part by limiting its narrative mostly to the first hundred days after Nixon’s second inauguration … This circumscribed frame allows Dobbs to deploy his observational gifts to full effect … Out of this raw material, Dobbs has carved out something intimate and extraordinary, skilfully chiseling out the details to bring the story to lurid life.’ -- Jennifer Szalai * The New York Times *‘Michael Dobbs is a master at narrative history. By focusing on the most critical 100 days of Watergate, and by sticking closely to the written and spoken record, Dobbs is able to bring to life the tragedy of Richard Nixon in a way no one else has. A truly gripping read and a moving portrait.’ -- Evan Thomas, author of Being Nixon‘The potent research and narrative skills of Michael Dobbs reach new heights in King Richard, his Shakespearean study of the endlessly compelling self-inflicted fall of Richard Nixon. Here again, as he did in his study of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Dobbs applies his signature technique of revealing character through the dramatic compression of time. It makes for illuminating and addictively readable history.’ -- David Maraniss, author of Barack Obama: the story‘Highly readable … If All the President’s Men was the first rough draft of Watergate history, this is the polished rewrite. Older readers will enjoy its deft mix of personality, history, and politics — and younger ones can spare themselves from ploughing through the dustier volumes on the Watergate shelf.’ -- Colin Freeman * The Telegraph *‘The tale of the two-bit break-in at Washington’s Watergate building and its monumental consequences is complex and labyrinthine, but Dobbs manages to tell it with sparkling clarity … he tells the story amazingly well.’ -- Craig Brown * The Mail on Sunday *‘This beautifully written and stunningly detailed portrait of one hundred essential days at the beginning of Nixon’s second term brings the Watergate scandal, its colourful cast of characters and Nixon himself to life in a way we’ve never before seen. Dobbs’s deep dive into the conversations that Nixon obsessively recorded … gives the book amazing authenticity. … King Richard’s vivid characterisations, novelistic detail and universal human themes make this a work of our time and for all time.’ -- Greg Garrett * The Spectator *‘The unraveling of Richard Nixon’s presidency plays out in intimate detail in this vivid recreation of a key period in the Watergate scandal … An indelible study of a political antihero.’ * Publishers Weekly, starred review *‘Spellbinding … Masterful … The author delivers an intimate, engrossing picture of Nixon as a visionary man “obsessed with privacy and solitude,” an affectionate husband and father, and a gut-fighting outsider mystified by power and all its trappings, styling himself as a kind of blend of Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Disraeli, and Charles de Gaulle. A riveting portrait of ambition, hubris, betrayal, and the downfall of an American president.’ * Kirkus Reviews, starred review *‘This is a compelling, moment-by-moment narrative, psychological as much as political, offering a sense of intimacy with the beleaguered Nixon without mawkishness.’ * Booklist, starred review *‘The strength of the work stems from Dobbs’s bringing lesser-known events into clear focus … Spanning biography and history, this is a gripping narrative and a fine account of events in the presidency. Recommended for readers unfamiliar with Watergate or in need of a refresher.’ * Library Journal *‘A balanced but frank account of a critical period in Richard Nixon’s downfall and a valuable addition to the literature of this dramatic era in American political history … Engrossing.’ * BookPage *A fascinating and informative read. -- Jeff Popple * Canberra Times *‘Dobbs’ book does a remarkable job of following the chronology briskly while making tight diversions to fill in the back story and relate biographies of the main characters.’ -- Nick Mattiske * Insights *‘Does the world need another history of the Watergate scandal? If it’s this good, yes.’ -- Tim Stanley * Literary Review *‘This fast-paced opus would be a rollicking fun read, a beach book even, if it weren’t so doggone real – and if it wasn’t so reminiscent of recent machinations in our nation’s capital. But fun or not, this is an important book at this moment in our tortured political history.’ * USA Today, starred review *‘Engrossing … a gripping psychological portrait.’ -- Andrew Lynch * The Sunday Business Post *‘Richard Nixon, who’s own naughty mouth, blind spots and pathetic unraveling gets a renewed intimacy in Michael Dobbs’ surprisingly riveting King Richard: Nixon and Watergate. Like a great curse word, you have heard it endlessly, but told through a fresh voice, it’s as fun as it is lurid.’ -- Christopher Borelli * Chicago Tribune *‘Smart and highly readable … Dobbs has a talent for you-are-there description … Vivid and fun.’ -- David Greenberg * New York Times Book Review *‘Dobbs … has a keen sense of drama. And, by focusing on the 100 days after Nixon’s triumphant second inauguration, he provides a clever lens for viewing most all of the president’s disastrous decisions, with an intimacy — due to Dobbs’s subtle choice of extracts from the tapes — that is stunning … The story Dobbs tells is, by turns, hilarious, pathetic and infuriating.’ -- Joe Klein * Washington Post *‘Brings the semi-tragic Nixon story to life in a form which has the same breathless pace and thrill-ride drama of a 1995 Oliver Stone blockbuster biopic. But it’s even more rewarding for fans of American political history, with additional depth and analysis, more richly drawn characters, and the kind of authenticity only access to real documentary evidence can bring.’ * Big Issue *‘Vivid … King Richard [has] a better shot than most histories have at reaching younger readers. At the same time, it gives a (much) older generation of Watergate junkies a way to rediscover the dark intrigues of Nixon and his entourage — with notes of relief that we all survived, and perhaps a touch of nostalgia as well … Dobbs achieves something of a cinematic effect … Whether you lived through the Watergate years, or have studied them since, Dobbs’ book hearkens back to an era when even a president elected in a landslide could be held to account by the system itself.’ -- Ron Elving * NPR *‘Fresh … Ingenious … It is Dobbs’s ability to use the techniques of fiction — getting inside the characters’ heads and reconstructing their interactions scene by scene — that gives this book its page-turning power.’ -- Charlotte Allen * Washington Examiner *‘A rollicking narrative history of the first 100 days of Nixon’s second term — the break-in, the cover-up, the investigation — that manages to be searing, humane, and addictive.’ -- Alessandra Stanley * Air Mail *‘With access to thousands of hours of released tapes, as well as other primary sources, Dobbs offers cogent detail and individual anecdotes about Nixon and his co-conspirators … With cohesion of purpose, command of subject, wealth of specificity and precision of prose, Dobbs fashions an absorbing narrative. A capital work of history rendered with Dobbs’ ability to convey immediacy, King Richard adds welcome clarity and nuance to the Watergate story.’ * The Free Lance-Star *Praise for Six Months in 1945: ‘[S]uperbly evocative … So vivid is the writing that you can practically feel the shuddering vibration and turbulence in what was then the state-of-the-art aircraft carrying Roosevelt on the first visit by an American president to the Soviet Union.’ * San Francisco Chronicle *Praise for Six Months in 1945: ‘Elegant and convincing … Dobbs's description of the fledgling relationship between the two superpowers is unerringly fascinating.’ * The Washington Post *Praise for Six Months in 1945: ‘Elegantly written … Dobbs delivers engaging portraits of the national leaders … A confident and rewarding survey of a hinge point in 20th century history.’ * Kirkus Reviews *Praise for One Minute to Midnight: ‘A book with sobering new information about the world's only superpower nuclear confrontation — as well as contemporary relevance … Filled with insights that will change the views of experts and help inform a new generation.’ -- Richard Holbrooke * The New York Times Book Review *Praise for One Minute to Midnight: ‘Did we need another book on the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962? Anyone reading One Minute to Midnight will quickly realise that we did need another — and that this is it. This is unquestionably the most complete and accurate account of the crisis that we have, and will no doubt long remain so. Michael Dobbs has managed to combine the careful and thorough research of a scholar into the ability of an able journalist to bring his findings to life in a dramatic story that illuminates the historical events it examines with lively characterisation of the people who made up the cast of the drama. It is first rate great history and a great read!’ -- Ambassador Raymond Garthoff, former intelligence analyst and author of Reflections on the Cuban Missile CrisisPraise for One Minute to Midnight: ‘At a time of danger for a nation it is important for political leaders first to think, then to think more and try avoid shooting. This book gives a day by day perspective on how two world leaders, John Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev, showed their ability to manage a crisis. Thanks to them, humanity survived and we are able to read this book.’ -- Sergei KhrushchevPraise for Winston's War: ‘An author who can bring historical happenings so vitally back to life and made all the more impressive by being historically accurate in every respect.’ * Times of London *Praise for Winston's War: ‘Dobbs takes us so far inside the mind of Winston Churchill that we feel as though we actually are him.’ * Booklist *Praise for Winston's War: ‘Dobbs infuses dramatic tension, inventive plots, and heady pacing in the narration of a British icon's noblest hours.’ * Publishers Weekly *
£17.09
Scribe Publications Sisters in Resistance: how a German spy, a
Book SynopsisThe extraordinary true story of the unlikely friendship between three women — Mussolini’s daughter, a German spy, and an American socialite — who conspired to assist the Allies. In 1943, Edda Mussolini, daughter of the fascist dictator, gave her father and Hitler an extraordinary ultimatum: release her husband, Italy’s former foreign minister, Galeazzo Ciano, from prison, or risk her leaking her husband’s incendiary diaries to the press. Instead, Hitler and Mussolini vowed to do everything in their power to destroy the diaries — even if it meant killing Edda. They ordered Hilde Beetz, a German spy, to seduce Ciano in prison in order to learn the diaries’ location. But Beetz fell in love with Ciano, and joined forces with Edda to try to save him from execution. When this failed, Edda fled with Hilde’s assistance. Upon learning of Edda’s escape, US intelligence sent in socialite Frances de Chollet to find Edda and get her to hand over the diaries to the Americans. Against all expectations, what developed was a rich and humanising friendship. With all the twists and turns of a spy thriller, this is the story of three women whose lives were drawn together in one of the most unlikely rescues of the Second World War.Trade Review‘Intelligent and compelling, Mazzeo’s probing book delves intriguingly into the “moral thicket” into which a group of strangers found themselves plunged during the long, dark days of World War II. A tantalisingly novelistic history lesson.’ * Kirkus Reviews *‘University of Montreal literature professor Mazzeo unravels a tangled knot of Fascist intrigue and family infighting in this riveting WWII history … Mazzeo efficiently relates these complex events and renders empathetic portraits of the story’s main players. WWII buffs will be enthralled.’ * Publishers Weekly *Praise for Irena’s Children: the extraordinary story of the woman who saved 2,500 children from the Warsaw ghetto: ‘[An] incredible account.’ * New York Times Book Review *Praise for Eliza Hamilton: the extraordinary life and times of the wife of Alexander Hamilton: ‘Drawing from an impressive breadth of sources … this is an expertly told story that’s certain to captivate Hamilton fans and intrigue anyone interested in early US history.’ * Publishers Weekly *Praise for The Secret of Chanel No. 5: the intimate history of the world's most famous perfume: ‘Mazzeo has written an account of the rarest of things — an international olfactory icon — that fairly rushes off the pages. Here is the life of one of the 20th century’s most interesting and deeply complicated women, a fascinating cultural history, and the story of an extraordinary perfume.’ -- Chandler Burr, New York Times scent critic and author of The Perfect Scent‘Reads like a John le Carré novel, too incredible to be true — and yet it is … This little-known but very important WWII story has the pacing of a thriller novel with the research acumen expected from this excellent writer.’ * Booklist *‘Told primarily through the eyes of fictional sisters Yvette and Gabby, the story can be seen as an homage to the women whose brave actions were integral to the underground French resistance … The book has it all: high fashion, spies, romance, loss, healing, mystery, sisterhood, friendship, and strong female protagonists … it is a fast-paced, well-told story that transports the reader to a memorable time in world history.’ * Historical Novel Society *‘A little-known history finally comes to light in Sisters in Resistance.’ * Town and Country *‘A nail-biting account of state crimes and secrets, real world action pitting spy versus spy and diplomat versus diplomat.’ * Library Journal *‘Compelling … a tangled web of deceit, corruption, betrayal, courage, and family intrigue. It reads like a spy thriller, moving at a fast pace, and even though the reader knows the successful outcome, the suspense never lets up.’ * Wall Street Journal *‘Fascinating … It’s a story too good not to tell … Mazzeo handles her formidable quantity of material with copious notes and sources. If ever there was a case for proving how history can be stranger than fiction, this story is it.’ -- Amanda Hopkinson * Jewish Chronicle *‘Sisters in Resistance is a unique real-life story with many twists and turns along the way … what shines through is the courage of the central characters in these extraordinary events in history.’ -- Karen McMillan * NZ Booklovers *
£17.00
September Publishing One Fine Day
Book SynopsisA time-travelling, genealogical adventure, bringing pre-industrial, rural, eighteenth-century England vividly to life on the page. One day Ian Marchant decided, as all men of a certain age must, to have a dig around his family history. Surprisingly quickly, a web search informed him that his seven-times-great great-grandfather, Thomas Marchant, had left a detailed diary from 1714 to 1728. Diarist Thom – who liked a drink and a game of cards – feels recognisably Marchant to Ian. With immersive detail we learn about Thom’s family farm and fishponds; about dung, horses and mud; about beer, the wife’s nights out, his own job troubles and their shared worries for their children. But as Ian digs deeper beyond the Sussex diary’s bucolic portrait he discovers a subtext – a family descended from immigrants, with anti-establishment politics, who are struggling with illness, political instability and cash crises – just as their country does three centuries on. ‘A unique and exhilarating exploration of time and love … elegiac, consistently funny, deeply moving.’ Richard Beard, author of Sad Little MenTrade Review'This book is too engaging, in both senses of the world, to be anything but loved ... wonderful.' The Oldie
£11.69
THREE SISTERS PUBLISHING LTD The Wicked Pilgrim: The true story of the
Book SynopsisIn the year 2020 a tiny, poorly designed, ill-equipped, wooden sailing ship will be the focus of attention for millions of people on both sides of the Atlantic. The occasion will be the 400 year anniversary of the arrival of the Mayflower on the shores of North America, carrying the first settlers from Europe in 1620. However, the star attraction will not be the original Mayflower but a replica that was built by an Englishman, Warwick Charlton. Although he had no financial resources and no knowledge of sailing ships, he built Mayflower II in under 2 years. Then he sailed it to America in 1957 and gave it to the American people. Over the last 60 years Mayflower II has become a national icon, visited by over 25 million Americans and seen by many millions more on television, the printed press and the Internet. This replica is now considered so valuable that it has been lovingly restored at a cost of $7.5 million. This is the true story of Warwick Charlton, his storm-tossed life in war and peacetime, how and why he built Mayflower II and his continuing connection with the ship. It is a story that involves larger than life characters, suspicion, conspiracy, deception and finally triumph against all odds; a story that in many ways mirrors the trials of the first settlers to set foot on North American soil in 1620. Above all, it is a story of a man who had an intense love of history, democracy and the United States; an adventurer without an ounce of fear.
£10.79
Smith Street Books RBG A to Z: The life of an icon from ACLU to Gen
Book SynopsisThis intricately illustrated and fastidiously researched book unpacks the life of RBG, who herself was larger-than-life. It explores Ruth’s early days growing up in Brooklyn, New York, in her family home; her time at Cornell, where she was first in her class, and Harvard, where she was the first female member of the Havard Law Review; her persistence in fighting for gender equality, and the indelible impact she had on the world. Featuring jaw-dropping illustrations, track Ruth’s rise as one of the US’s most important and celebrated judges, the impact of her legacy for women, her contribution to law and the unparalleled phenomena that is Ruth Bader Ginsberg. This book looks at the life of one of the most inspiring, influential figures in recent history– all in a brilliantly illustrated A to Z format.
£11.04
Pan Macmillan India Jinnah: A Life
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£16.62
Vintage Publishing Queens of the Age of Chivalry
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 *
£10.44
Hodder & Stoughton 100 Nasty Women of History
Book Synopsis''Vital reading'' STYLIST''...hooting with laughter - what a swashbuckler that Hannah Jewell is'' MARINA HYDE''Because 100 Nasty Women is so easy to read and witty, I didn''t expect it to be the life changing, important book that I''m discovering it to be'' PHILIPPA PERRY''A fantastic addition to your feminist library and historical knowledge.'' ANN SHEN, author of Bad Girls Throughout History* * * * * *100 fascinating and brilliantly written stories about history''s bravest, baddest but little known ''nasty'' women from across the world.These are the women who were deemed too nasty for their times, too nasty to be recognised, too nasty to be paid for their work and sometimes too nasty to be allowed to live. When you learn about women in history, they''re often made out to be shining, glittering souls. But when you hear about these Bold-Yet-Morally-Irreproachable Women of History who wTrade Review'Both heartbreaking and hilarious, this book aims to give every woman "who gave zero f*cks" the respect and notoriety they have always deserved and long been denied. Vital reading' * STYLIST *'Laugh-out-loud funny and inspiring . . . Read it to pick a glorious new role model ... and feel more connected to strong women all across time' -- Krista Suh, creator of the Pussyhat Project and author of DIY Rules for a WTF WorldA fun, hilarious read that will make a fantastic addition to your feminist library and historical knowledge -- Ann Shen, author of BAD GIRLS THROUGHOUT HISTORY'Because 100 Nasty Women is so easy to read and witty, I didn't expect it to be the life changing, important book that I'm discovering it to be' -- Philippa Perry'Hooting with laughter - what a swashbuckler that Hannah Jewell is' -- Marina Hyde'Like Rebel Girls for adults' -- Katy Lovell
£10.44
Orion Publishing Co I Am Malala
Book SynopsisIn the face of Taliban oppression, one girl''s unwavering defiance sparked a worldwide movement. Shot in the head for daring to seek an education, Malala Yousafzai defied all odds, emerging stronger than ever. From a valley in Pakistan to the global stage, she became a beacon of peaceful resistance and the youngest Nobel laureate. I Am Malala is an extraordinary story of resilience, a family shattered by terrorism and the power of one voice to inspire change in the world.''Moving and illuminating'' OBSERVER''Inspirational and powerful'' GRAZIA''Astonishing'' SPECTATOR''A tale of immense courage and conviction'' THE INDEPENDENT''One finishes the book full of admiration'' SUNDAY TIMES''Malala is a true inspiration'' THE SUN''Piercingly wise'' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAYTrade ReviewMoving and illuminating -- Catherine Bennett * OBSERVER *For sheer inspiration read I Am Malala -- Kirsty Brimelow * THE TIMES *Not only powerful, but also very instructive about the recent history of Pakistan and the pressures of everyday life there. One finishes the book full of admiration both for Malala, and for her father, who has clearly inspired her * THE SUNDAY TIMES *Malala Yousafzai's story begins with her parents being commiserated with after producing a baby girl. In their part of northern Pakistan, she says, rifle shots ring out in celebration of a baby boy's arrival. But there is no such fanfare for females: their destiny is to cook and clean, to be neither seen nor heard... So how did Malala, who barely warranted a mention in her family's genealogy, become destined for the history books as a powerful symbol for girls' universal right to an education? Her memoir I Am Malala tells us how -- Baroness Warsi * DAILY TELEGRAPH *One of the more moving details in I Am Malala is that her mother was due to start learning to read and write on the day Malala was shot - 9 October 2012 -- Kamila Shamsie * The GUARDIAN *Her story is astonishing -- Owen Bennett-Jones * SPECTATOR *This memoir brings out her best qualities. You can only admire her courage and determination. Her thirst for education and reform appear genuine. She also has an air of innocence, and there is an indestructible confidence. She speaks with such poise that you forget Malala is 16 -- Ziauddin Sardar * THE TIMES *Inspirational and powerful * GRAZIA *The medical team that saved Malala; her own stoicism and resilience; the support of her family, now, again in exile, this time in Birmingham; Malala's level-headed resolve to continue to champion education and children's rights - these are all powerful reminders of the best in human nature. Much of the money Malala has been awarded has gone to the Malala fund (www.malalafund.org). "Please join my mission," she asks. It's vital that those of us who can, do -- Yvonne Roberts * OBSERVER *A tale of immense courage and conviction which begins as [Malala] is shot for campaigning for the rights of girls to an education * THE INDEPENDENT *Malala's voice has the purity, but also has the rigidity, of the principled. Whether she is being a competitive teenager and keeping track of who she bet in exams (and by how much) or writing a blog for the BBC that catapulted her on to the international stage - "We were learning how to struggle. And we were learning how powerful we are when we speak" - or talking about Pakistan's politicians ("useless"), Malala is passionate and intense. Her faith and her duty to the cause of girls' education is unquestionable, her adoration for her father - her role model and comrade in arms - is moving and her pain at the violence carried out in the name of Islam is palpable -- Fatima Bhutto * GUARDIAN *The story of the girl shot by the Taliban for speaking up for women's education is one of idealism and stubborn courage, and a reminder that women's rights and many children's rights to education are continually threatened * METRO *She has the heart and courage of a lioness and is a true inspiration -- Lorraine Kelly * THE SUN *One finishes the book full of admiration both for Malala, and for her father, who has clearly inspired her -- Andrew Holgate * THE SUNDAY TIMES *Part memoir, part mission statement. I Am Malala recounts the early life of the Pakistani schoolgirl who spoke out against the Taliban and was shot for her defiance. Her recovery, bravery and stoicism - and her father, Ziauddin - make for shocking and moving reading * EMERALD STREET *Malala's story is gripping, tragic and yet ultimately full of hope. Faced with religious fundamentalism, suicide bombers and death threats her courage, stoicism and wisdom shine through at every turn. The bond she shares with her father - an equally courageous man whose views on equality are at odds with many of his countrymen - is also very movingly described * WOMAN'S WAY *This remarkable book is part memoir, part manifesto. I feel enriched from having read it. I also feel humbled. Our obsession with school performance is suddenly marginalised by a story in which education, quite literally, proves a matter of life and death -- Geoff Barton * THE EDUCATIONAL SUPPLEMENT *It's hard to believe that this intelligent, charismatic and very poised young women is still just 16 years old. There is so much hope and expectation resting on those inspirational small shoulders -- Lorraine Kelly * GLASGOW HERALD *The Pakistani schoolgirl shot by the Taliban has astonished the world with her courage and determination to fight for education and equal rights for women * FINANCIAL TIMES *Honest, insightful and piercingly wise, this is the celebrity memoir to give your teenaged daughter this Christmas -- Katy Guest * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *Read the story of the remarkable young woman who refused to be silenced after she was shot in the head by the Taliban on a school bus in 2012. At 16, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest ever nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize * BABY & ME *The media didn't really take on board the fact, which emerges from her book I Am Malala, that every single day for her was a protest. She would hide her pens and books under her clothes on the way to school and ignore the Taliban's threats. She is a role model, not just a victim -- Agatha Johnson * STANDPOINT *It's hard to find the words to describe what this girl has done, not only for young women everywhere, but also for the world in which it feels like the bad guys always win. I'm choked up just writing this * GLASGOW HERALD *I felt both humbled and inspired by I am Malala, the remarkable story of the young educational campaigner from Pakistan's Swat valley, who miraculously survived after bring shot by the dark forces of fundamentalism. Deftly written with the help of an award-winning foreign correspondent, this is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the tortured politics of the Taliban in the North-West Frontier -- Jimmy Burns * THE TABLET *Malala has shown extraordinary courage in campaigning for the millions of girls who are still denied an education. Uplifting and inspirational -- June Purvis * TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT *The inspirational story of the girl who singlehandedly showed that the pen is mightier that the sword should be required reading for people of all ages * ARMY & YOU *A rich and riveting account of a short, brave and admirable life -- Kevin Power * SUNDAY BUSINESS POST (Ireland) *The book is equally Malala's story of love for her family and respect for her father who comes across as an inspirational figure. It is a book of courage and endurance in the face of tremendous odds. I Am Malala should be read by everyone who sees education as an agency of liberation for both boys and girls and an indispensable weapon in the struggle against ignorance and oppression -- Alan Gibbons * ARMADILLO *This courageous and extraordinary young woman has become something of a world symbol. Her stand for education of women in her own native Pakistan was a courageous one, but it should not lead Western readers to think that such things only happened over there. She and her family now live abroad, but as her speeches and appearances show, she continues her campaign for the right of young people everywhere to fully realise their potential * IRISH CATHOLIC *The world is entranced by the story of the 15-year-old girl who was shot in the head by the Taliban because she wished to go to school. Flown over to Birmingham for emergency surgery, she has emerged as an elegant and brave spokesgirl for a better future. This book should inspire girls the world over * CATHOLIC HERALD *Malala is an inspiration to girls and women all over the world -- J.K. RowlingMalala's evocation of place, beautifully and lovingly described, and her paean to her father with his own passion for education, are fascinating. But so is her toughness. She describes seeing a young girl selling oranges, clearly unable to read or write: "I took a photo of her and vowed I would do everything in my power to help educate girls just like her. This was the war I was going to fight." This remarkable book is part memoir, part manifesto. I feel enriched from having read it. I also feel humbled. Our obsession with school performance is suddenly marginalised by a story in which education, quite literally, proves a matter of life and death. * TES *Malala's voice has the purity, but also the rigidity, of the principled. Whether she is being a competitive teenager and keeping track of who she beat in exams (and by how much) or writing about the blog for the BBC that catapulted her on to the international stage ... or talking about Pakistan's politicians ("useless"), Malala is passionate and intense. Her faith and her duty to the cause of girls' education is unquestionable, her adoration for her father - her role model and comrade in arms - is moving and her pain at the violence carried out in the name of Islam is palpable. -- Fatima Bhutto * Guardian *
£9.49
Oxford University Press The Lives of the Artists
Book SynopsisTranslation of: Vite de' piu eccellenti architettori, pittori et scultori italiani.Trade Review`...a book which has come to be recognised as the single most important contemporary source of information on hundreds of artists of the Italian Renaissance period.' Irish IndependentTable of ContentsIncludes: Cimabue; Giotto; Duccio; Luca della Robbia; Paolo Uccello; Ghiberti; Masaccio; Filippo Brunelleschi; Donatello; Piero della Francesca; Fra Angelico; Fra Filippo Lippi; Domenico Ghirlandaio; Sandro Botticelli; Andrea del Verrocchio; Mantegna; Leonardo da Vinci; Giorgione; Raphael; Titian; Michelangelo
£9.89
Faber & Faber Joan of Arc
Book SynopsisAcclaimed historian and broadcaster Helen Castor tells the story of Joan of Arc as you have never read it before.''Popular history at its best.'' Daily TelegraphHelen Castor brings us afresh a gripping life of Joan of Arc. Instead of the icon, she gives us a living, breathing young woman; a roaring girl fighting the English, and taking sides in a bloody civil war that was tearing fifteenth century France apart.Here is a portrait of a 19-year-old peasant who hears voices from God; a teenager transformed into a warrior leading an army to victory, in an age that believed women should not fight. And it is also the story behind the myth we all know, a myth which began to take hold at her trial: that of the Maid of Orleans, the saviour of France, a young woman burned at the stake as a heretic, a woman who five hundred years later would be declared a saint.Joan and her world are brought vividly to life in this refreshing new tak
£11.69
Biteback Publishing Jacob's Ladder
Book SynopsisJacob Rees-Mogg is one of the most prominent and controversial figures in contemporary British politics. He is a man who divides opinion in his own party, in Parliament and across the country. An arch-Brexiteer with significant business interests and a large personal fortune, he has long been a vocal critic of the European Union and of Prime Minister Theresa May’s attempts to negotiate a Brexit deal. As chairman of the powerful anti-EU organisation the European Research Group, he has also been a thorn in the side of those seeking to dilute Brexit. While many people mock him for his impeccable manners and traditional attitudes – he has been dubbed `the Honourable Member for the eighteenth century’ – an equally great number applaud him for his apparent conviction politics. Undoubtedly, Rees-Mogg stands out among the current crop of MPs and his growing influence cannot be ignored. In this wide-ranging unauthorised biography of the Conservative Member of Parliament for North East Somerset, Michael Ashcroft, bestselling author of Call Me Dave: The Unauthorised Biography of David Cameron, turns his attention to one of the most intriguing politicians of our time.
£17.00
Penguin Books Ltd Seneca
Book SynopsisPhilosopher, dramatist, rhetorician, Stoic and pragmatist, Seneca was one of the most contradictory figures in ancient Rome, embracing a stern ascetic morality while amassing a fortune under Nero and eventually committing suicide. This definitive biography reveals a life lived perilously in the gap between ideals and reality.Trade ReviewSeneca lived in a world where dissimulation was a way of life, and the confusion between reality and failure woven into the very fabric of the state. It is the mirror he holds up to it which makes him such a great and unsettling writer, and which Wilson's fine biography does so much to explicate -- Tom Holland * Telegraph *Absorbing * Observer *Morally our author is tough on Seneca, contrasting, for example, his lickspittle approach to Nero with Boudicca's resistance. But she is a persuasive extoller of his writing and the final chapter about his diverse legacy is breathtaking * Spectator *The most famous and poignant example of a philosopher trying and spectacularly failing to improve a ruler, is that of the Roman Stoic Seneca, whose life is wonderfully retold here by the classicist Emily Wilson * Sunday Times *This is a riveting and complete picture of Seneca's complex and compromised life. It is impeccably researched, carefully structured, and written with admirable brio. For good or ill, ours is a Senecan age -- Simon Critchley, The New School for Social ResearchA fresh, perceptive, and in-depth look at the enigmatic Seneca, giving us a nuanced perspective into the conflicted mind and motives of the philosopher who embraced lofty Stoic ideals while serving Nero and amassing great wealth in the process. I honestly could not put it down, it is so insightful and well written and yes -- suspenseful, even though we know the ending -- Margaret George, author of Elizabeth I: The Novel and Helen of Troy: A Novel
£10.44
Biteback Publishing Break-Up: How Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon
Book SynopsisAlex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon's political partnership changed the face of Scotland, bringing the country to within 200,000 votes of independence and holding sway at Holyrood for more than a decade. So how and why has their thirty-year alliance irretrievably broken down? Break-Up tells the inside story of how the once unbreakable unity of the Scottish National Party was ripped apart amid shocking claims of sexual assault. With unrivalled access to both camps and the women who made the allegations, and with rigorously fair-minded reporting, journalists David Clegg and Kieran Andrews go behind the headlines to uncover the truth about this extraordinary episode, in a piece of political history that reads like a thriller. Now fully updated, this is a jaw-dropping tale of inappropriate behaviour in the highest reaches of power, of lies, distrust and alleged conspiracy, with profound implications not only for Salmond and Sturgeon themselves but for Scotland's governing party and the wider independence campaign.Trade Review"A gripping story of power games and hubris" The Observer
£11.69
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Alexander Hamilton
Book SynopsisYou've seen the show, you've sung the songs, now read the full story of America's most misunderstood founding father. 'I was swept up by the story. I thought it 'out-Dickens' Dickens in the unlikeliness of this man's rise from his humble beginnings in Nevis in the Caribbean, to changing, helping shape our young nation. And it's uniquely an immigrant story and it's uniquely a story about writers... It's an amazing biography' LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA Alexander Hamilton was an illegitimate self-taught orphan from the Caribbean who overcame all the odds to become George Washington's aide-de-camp and the first Treasury Secretary of the United States. Few figures in American history are more controversial than Alexander Hamilton. In this masterful work, Chernow shows how the political and economic power of America today is the result of Hamilton's willingness to champion ideas that were often wildly disputed during his time. He charts his titanic feuds with Jefferson, Adams, Madison, Monroe and Burr; his highly public affair with Maria Reynolds; his loving marriage to his loyal wife Eliza; and the notorious duel with Aaron Burr that led to his death in July 1804.Trade ReviewA mammoth work of research that charted the course of Hamilton's dazzling career and the dark controversies that accompanied it * Guardian *A magnificent biography * Spectator *An elegantly written, richly detailed account of Hamilton's tempestuous life * The Times *Nobody has captured Hamilton better than Chernow * New York Times Book Review *Chernow charts his way through Hamilton's hectic life, and the tumultuous times in which he lived, with aplomb * Military History Monthly *That biography is incredible. It out-Dickenses Charles Dickens -- Lin-Manuel MirandaA brilliant recreation of the society and culture of the time: thoughtful and playful, moving and powerful -- Michael Gove
£14.39
Marshall Cavendish ELT Impressions of an Invasion: A Correspondent in
Book Synopsis
£12.74
Princeton University Press The Man Who Understood Democracy
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the Grand Prix de la Biographie Politique""Winner of the Prix littéraire de biographie historique Brantôme""A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year""A fascinating story. . . . Zunz’s account of Beaumont and Tocqueville’s journey and the subsequent writing of Democracy in America is riveting."---Lynn Hunt, New York Review of Books"[A] superbly written biography. . . . Accessible and erudite."---Stephen W. Sawyer, Times Literary Supplement"Zunz has written what must surely be the definitive account of the public life of Alexis de Tocqueville."---Alan Ryan, Literary Review"A masterpiece."---Peter McPhee, Australian Book Review"This biography gives us, often with just a few telling strokes, the ambitious but depressive young aristocrat . . . the Romantic literary self-creator . . . and the liberal politician.""---Jedediah Britton-Purdy, New Republic"Zunz, the foremost living Tocqueville expert, sensitively and masterfully examines the Frenchman’s life in full. . . . Engaging and informative."---Michael M. Rosen, Commentary"As a narrative biography, Olivier Zunz’s The Man Who Understood Democracy succeeds tremendously. The details of Tocqueville’s life—and the events he lived through—are rendered with engaging clarity."---Paul Sagar, The Critic"An informative biography. . . . Zunz explains what Tocqueville learned—and what he failed to notice—during his travels throughout the United States. . . . Zunz also provides a splendid account of Tocqueville’s career as a practical politician in France."---Glenn C. Altschuler, Minneapolis Star-Tribune"A major new biography . . . [Zunz] is ideally matched to his subject. . . . [Tocqueville] could not have a more deeply knowledgeable biographer."---Brooke Allen, Hudson Review"An exhaustively researched and discretely focused biography."---Barton Swaim, Wall Street Journal"The Man Who Understood Democracy must now stand as the authoritative biography of Alexis de Tocqueville, far surpassing the achievements of earlier biographers such as Hugh Brogan. From start to finish, it is elegantly written, judicious, erudite, and a hugely insightful and informative read."---Jeremy Jennings, Tocqueville21"A richly detailed intellectual biography. . . . Wide-ranging and meticulously argued." * Publishers Weekly *"Magisterial. . . . [A] virtuosic account of Tocqueville’s life and work."---Tarek Masoud, Journal of Democracy"A wide-ranging study of the life and thought of the French aristocrat. . . . [An] astute biography." * Kirkus Reviews *"An outstanding new biography of Alexis de Tocqueville that is sure to be the standard for years to come." * Choice *"A self-recommending biography of one of the greatest social science thinkers. Easy to read, and good for both the generalist and specialist reader."---Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution"Olivier Zunz’s The Man Who Understood Democracy is an excellent biography of this major figure of political philosophy. It is well-written and judicious in its use of detail."---Theodore Dalrymple, Law & Liberty"Tocqueville has a lot to offer us. The publication of this biography is as much an occasion to engage with his ideas as it is to be inspired by his longing for truth and his commitment to creating conditions conducive to human flourishing."---Suyash Rai, Carnegie India
£19.80
Ohio University Press Julius Nyerere
Book SynopsisWith vision, hard-nosed judgment, and biting humor, Julius Nyerere confronted the challenges of nation building in modern Africa. Constructing Tanzania out of a controversial Cold War union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar, Nyerere emerged as one of independent Africa’s most influential leaders.Trade Review“Bjerk succeeds in debating the legacy of Nyerere through six short chapters. The book recognises the highs and lows of Nyerere’s illustrious political careers and balances this in a manner befitting a great African statesman … This book offers that opportunity to understand Tanzania’s political culture and history through the life and times of Mwalimu Nyerere.” * Africa at LSE *“A highly welcome and urgently needed addition to the historical literature on African politicians.…Due to its readability, brevity, and appealing portrayal of the complexities of politicking, the book is well suited for classroom use, but it is also of interest to those already familiar with Tanzanian history.…The book can be wholeheartedly recommended to students of political biographies, postcolonial politics, decolonization, and African contemporary history, and anybody interested in socialist thought and experiments across the globe.” * H-Net *“Bjerk’s embrace of contradiction and complexity allows him to address [an] amorphous question of legacy, and he draws deeply on the full range of existing scholarship about Tanzania.” * Global Africana Review *
£12.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Edmund
Book SynopsisWhat buried secret lies beneath the stones of one of England's greatest former churches and shrines, the Benedictine Abbey of Bury St Edmunds? The search for the final resting place of King Edmund has led to this site, beneath which Francis Young argues the lost king''s remains are waiting to be found. Edmund: In Search of England''s Lost King explores the history of the martyred monarch of East Anglia and England''s first patron saint, showing how he became a pivotal figure around whom Saxons, Danes and Normans all rallied. Young also examines Edmund''s legacy in the centuries since his death at the hands of marauding Vikings in the 9th century. In doing so, this fascinating book points to the imminent rediscovery of the ruler who created England.Trade ReviewSimultaneously a sophisticated work of history, a compelling detective story and a moving meditation on what it is to be English, this is a fascinating and wonderful book. -- Tom HollandThe author's enthusiasm for his subject, and for the quest to find the mortal remains of St. Edmund, everywhere shines through. Authoritative and reliable, this volume is at the same time an enjoyable and engaging read. -- John Ashdown-Hill, MBETable of ContentsPreface List of Illustrations Abbreviations Chronology Introduction 1. Angelcynn: Edmund’s People 2. Death of a King 3. Invincible Martyr: The Early Cult of Edmund, 869-1066 4. ‘Patron of all England’: Edmund in the Medieval World, 1066-1539 5. A Lost King: Edmund since the Reformation Conclusion: Finding Edmund? Notes Bibliography
£15.19
Regnery Publishing Inc Zelensky: The Unlikely Ukrainian Hero Who Defied
Book SynopsisThe first major profile of Ukraine's courageous President Volodymyr Zelensky!From comedian to president to freedom fighter, this is the story of Volodymyr Zelensky, the man who stood up to Vladimir Putin and forever changed the world.
£11.69
GMC Publications Biographic: Beethoven
Book SynopsisThe Biographic series presents an entirely new way of looking at the lives of the world's greatest thinkers and creatives. It takes the 50 defining facts, dates, thoughts, habits and achievements of each subject, and uses infographics to convey all of them in vivid snapshots. Each Biographic title is designed to be as entertaining as it is informative. Timelines not only pinpoint significant dates, but set them in the context and culture of their times. Dynamic maps locate biographical events alongside other points of interest. Character traits are illuminated by visual comparisons. Most people know that Ludwig van Beethoven(17701827) was a German composer, a musical prodigy whose Symphony No. 5 is recognisable the world over from its opening four notes. What, perhaps, they don't know is that he was almost completely deaf for nearly half his life; that his father would often lie about when Beethoven was born to make his talents seem even more astonishing; that he wrote a sonata to be played with building implements and called it the "Hammer-Klavier Sonata'; and that he dedicated works to Napoleon and a dead poodle. Biographic: Beethoven presents an instant impression of his life, work and legacy, with an array of irresistible facts and figures converted into infographics to reveal the composer behind the compositions. AUTHOR: Marcus Weeks studied Music and Musical Instrument Technology, and worked as a Music teacher, piano technician and composer before becoming a full-time writer. He has written extensively on music, philosophy and psychology.
£8.99
Bodleian Library Defying Hitler: The White Rose Pamphlets
Book Synopsis'Long Live Freedom!' — Hans Scholl's last words before his execution The White Rose (die Weiße Rose) resistance circle was a group of students and a professor at the University of Munich who in the early 1940s secretly wrote and distributed anti-Nazi pamphlets. At its heart were Hans Scholl, Sophie Scholl, Christoph Probst, Alexander Schmorell, Willi Graf and Professor Kurt Huber, all of whom were executed in 1943 by the Nazi regime. The youngest among them was just twenty-one years old. This book outlines the story of the group and sets their resistance texts in political and historical context, including archival photographs. A series of brief biographical sketches, along with excerpts from letters and diaries, trace each member’s journey towards action against the National Socialist state. The White Rose resistance pamphlets are included in full, translated by students at the University of Oxford. These translations are the result of work by undergraduates around the same age as the original student authors, working together on texts, ideas and issues. This project reflects a crucial aspect of the White Rose: its collaborative nature. The resistance pamphlets were written collaboratively, and they could not have had the reach they did without being distributed by multiple individuals, defying Hitler through words and ideas. Today, the bravery of the White Rose lives on in film and literature and is commemorated not just in Munich but throughout Germany and beyond.Table of ContentsContents Acknowledgements The White Rose: An Introduction Biographical Sketches Sophie Scholl (1921-1943) Hans Scholl (1918-1943) Christoph Probst (1919-1943) Alexander Schmorell (1917-1943) Kurt Huber (1893-1943) Willi Graf (1918-1943) Hans Leipelt (1921-1945) The Pamphlets of the White Rose Pamphlet I Pamphlet II Pamphlet III Pamphlet IV Pamphlet V Pamphlet VI Draft Pamphlet VII Timeline of Events Further Reading and Viewing in English Bibliography Picture Credits Index
£14.25
White Star Jackie: Life and Style of Jaqueline Kennedy
Book SynopsisI want to live, not be a witness of my life. Beautiful. Cultured. Refined. Enviable. Admirable. Adored. Journalist. Philanthropist. Publisher. Jackie Kennedy was many things – amongst them, she was and remains the most iconic First Lady the United States has ever seen. Discreet and seductive, she lived a destiny of fortune, success and mourning. This biographical photobook commemorates her intelligence and her style 30 years after her passing. Learn about the woman captivating enough to win the respect of the powerful and the love of the people. Learn about the Jackie before and after her years as “Queen of America” and be captivated by a story of aspirations, devastations and rebirth. An intense and in-depth portrait of a women who enchanted the world.
£22.50
The American University in Cairo Press Nasser: My Husband
Book SynopsisGamal Abdel Nasser, architect of Egypt's 1952 Revolution, president of the country from 1956 to 1970, hero to millions across the Arab world since the Suez Crisis, was also a family man, a devoted husband and father who kept his private life largely private. In 1973, three years after his early passing at the age of 52, his wife Tahia wrote a memoir of her beloved husband for her family. The family then waited almost forty years, through the presidencies of Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak, both unsympathetic to the memory of Nasser, before publishing Tahia's book in Arabic for the first time in 2011. Now this unique insight into the life of one of the giants of the twentieth century is finally available in English. Accompanied by more than one hundred photographs from the family archive, many never before published, this historic book tells the story of the couple's life together from their marriage in 1944, through the Revolution and Nasser's career on the world stage, revealing an unknown and intimate picture of the man behind the president.Trade ReviewTo comeTable of ContentsForeword by Hoda Gamal Abdel Nasser Prologue: Dearly Departed Early Years To Palestine Return from al-Faluja Continual Meetings with the Officers Prelude to the Revolution The 23 July Revolution The Declaration of the Republic Conspiracies At Home after the Revolution The Nationalization of the Suez Canal Company Life at Manshiyat al-Bakri after the Evacuation Presidential Duties End of the Union The Family Man 1967 The First Heart Attack Summer 1970 The Final Moments Index
£23.74
Quarto Publishing PLC Great Womens Speeches
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
£11.69
Dorling Kindersley Ltd Women Our History
Book SynopsisRe-examining history from a female perspective, this book celebrates the numerous important roles women have played in culture and society that are less often told.Packed full of evocative images, this gloriously illustrated book reveals the key events in women''s history - from early matriarchal societies through women''s suffrage, the Suffragette movement, 20th-century feminism and gender politics, to recent movements such as #MeToo and International Women''s Day - and the key role women have had in shaping our past.Learn about the everyday lives of women through the ages as well as the big ?names of women''s history - powerful, inspirational, and trailblazing women such as Cleopatra, Florence Nightingale, Emmeline Pankhurst, Eva Peron, and Rosa Parks - and discover the unsung contributions of lesser-known women who have changed the world, and the forgotten events of women''s history.Placing women firmly centre stage, Women - Our History shows women where they have come from, and, in celebrating the achievements of women of the past offers positive role models for women of today
£17.00
Broadview Press Ltd Letters Written in France
Book SynopsisHelen Maria Williams was a poet, novelist, and radical thinker deeply immersed in the political struggles of the 1790s. Her Letters Written in France is the first and most important of eight volumes chronicling the French Revolution to an England fearful of another civil war. Her twenty-six letters recounting old regime tyranny and revolutionary events provide both an apology for the Revolution and a representation of it as sublime spectacle.Trade Review“At last, a modern edition of Williams’s absorbing and familiar Letters Written in France. Fraistat and Lanser edit with tact and impeccable scholarship. Their introduction to the French Revolution is a gem in itself, an international ‘thriller’ well designed for today’s reader.” — Nanora Sweet, University of Missouri, St. Louis“Williams’s eloquent and dramatic eye-witness account of the French Revolution, Letters Written in France, is a work central to the study of Romanticism, history, and women’s literature. Expertly edited, this splendid edition contains a brilliant, informative introduction that situates Williams in the landscape of revolutionary, literary, and women’s history, offers very helpful scholarly annotations, and is packed with contextual materials. This is another Broadview gem.” — Harriet Kramer Linkin, New Mexico State University“Williams’s Letters Written in France offered readers in England a sympathetic view of the Revolution, which she hoped would hasten democratic reforms. This new edition will be particularly useful and accessible. Telling excerpts from Burke, Paine, and Wollstonecraft permit us to appreciate the fervor that surrounded political and social debates in the period and to assess the narrative power of Williams’s record of contemporary events. Feminists will especially appreciate the subtle analysis by Fraistat and Lanser of gender in Williams’s epistolary narrative and view of the Revolution, and cultural critics will relish the juxtaposition of reviews, letters, political polemic, and poems. This richly supplemented edition will be an invaluable resource.” — Margaret Higonnet, University of ConnecticutTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsIntroductionHelen Maria Williams: A Brief ChronologyContemporary Historical EventsA Note on the TextLetters Written in France, in the Summer 1790Appendix A: Excerpts From Later Volumes of Williams’s Letters from France Letters from France: Containing Many New Anecdotes (1792) Letters from France: Containing … Interesting and OriginalInformation, vol. I (1793) Letters from France: Containing … Interesting and OriginalInformation, vol. II (1793) Letters Containing a Sketch of the Politics of France[May 1793-July 1794], vol. I (1795) Letters Containing a Sketch of the Politics of France[May 1793-July 1794], vol. II (1795) Letters Containing a Sketch of the Scenes … during theTyranny of Robespierre (1795) Letters Containing a Sketch of the Politics of France[July 1794-95] (1796) Appendix B: Selected Poetry by Williams “To Sensibility” A Poem on the Bill Lately Passed for Regulating the Slave Trade “The Bastille, A Vision” (from Julia, a Novel; Interspersed with Some Poetical Pieces) A Farewell, for Two Years, to England. A Poem Appendix C: Critical Reviews of Letters Written in France The Analytical Review The General Magazine The Monthly Review The Universal Magazine The Critical Review The Gentleman’s Magazine The English Review Appendix D: Other Contemporary Responses to Letters Written in France Edward Jerningham, “On Reading ‘Letters Written from France’” Hester Thrale Piozzi, from Thraliana Two Letters by Anna Seward Society of Friends of the Constitution at Rouen Laetitia Matilda Hawkins, from Letters on the Female Mind William Wordsworth, from The Prelude (1805), Book IX Appendix E: Contemporary Responses to Williams William Wordsworth James Boswell The Anti-Jacobin Review Mary Pilkington Henry Crabb Robinson Williams’s Obituary in the Gentleman’s Magazine Appendix F: The French Revolution: Selected Primary Documents Declaration of The Rights of Man and Citizen Olympe de Gouges, “Declaration of the Rights of Woman and Female Citizen” From Address to the National Assembly Supporting Abolition of the Slave Trade The Fete de la Federation as described by the London Times Beneficial Effects of the French Revolution Appendix G: The French Revolution: Selected Early British Responses Richard Price, from A Discourse on the Love of Our Country Edmund Burke, from Reflections on the Revolution in France Mary Wbllstonecraft, from A Vindication of the Rights of Men Thomas Paine, from The Rights of Man Hannah More, from Village Politics Anna Barbauld, “To a Great Nation” Mary Alcock,“Instructions … for the Mob in England” Selected Bibliography
£22.75
Penguin Books Ltd Colour Bar
Book SynopsisSir Seretse Khama, the first President of Botswana and heir apparent to the kingship of the Bangwato people, brought independence and great prosperity to his nation after colonial rule. But for six long years from 1950, Seretse had been forced into exile in England, banned from his own country. His crime? To fall in love and marry a young, white English girl, Ruth Williams. Delving into newly released records, Susan Williams tells Seretse and Ruth''s story - a shocking account of how the British Government conspired with apartheid South Africa to prevent the mixed-race royal couple returning home. But it is also an inspiring, triumphant tale of hope, courage and true love as with tenacity and great dignity Seretse and Ruth and the Bangwato people ovecome prejudice in their fight for justice.
£999.99
Oxford University Press Inc Into the Bright Sunshine
Book SynopsisFrom one of the country''s most distinguished journalists, a revisionist and riveting look at the American politician whom history has judged a loser, yet who played a key part in the greatest social movement of the 20th century.During one sweltering week in July 1948, the Democratic Party gathered in Philadelphia for its national convention. The most pressing and controversial issue facing the delegates was not whom to nominate for president -the incumbent, Harry Truman, was the presumptive candidate -but whether the Democrats would finally embrace the cause of civil rights and embed it in their official platform. Even under Franklin Roosevelt, the party had dodged the issue in order to keep a bloc of Southern segregationiststhe so-called Dixiecratsin the New Deal coalition.On the convention''s final day, Hubert Humphrey, just 37 and the relatively obscure mayor of the midsized city of Minneapolis, ascended the podium. Defying Truman''s own desire to occupy the middle ground, HumphreyTrade ReviewA strong step in rehabilitating Humphrey's image as a practical politician and civil rights activist. * Kirkus Reviews *At the 1948 Democratic Convention, Hubert Humphrey implored the Party and nation to make civil rights the cause of the 20th century. Samuel Freedman's insightful book provides a critical account of not only Humphrey's path to that moment but also of the Minneapolis leaders and activists who fought for justice in Minnesota and who shaped the man who would become one of our nation's greatest champions for equality. Freedman's book reminds us that while so much progress has been made, all of us must continue to walk 'towards that bright sunshine of human rights.' * Senator Amy Klobuchar *Sam Freedman's work consistently elevates the craft of writing and Into the Bright Sunshine is no exception. His characteristically graceful prose and meticulous research illuminate not only Hubert Humphrey's life but the promise and peril of his political moment. The result is an adroit chronicle of a giant obscured by the passage of time and a key entry in the history of American liberalism and the roots of its current predicament. * Jelani Cobb *Into The Bright Sunshine accomplishes that rare triumph of being two books at once: Freedman has crafted both a definitive biography of Hubert Humphrey so vivid that we can almost hear H.H's heart thump on the page, as well as a rigorous investigation into the moral, spiritual and political forces that have shaped the best of liberalism in America. * Eliza Griswold, Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of Amity and Prosperity *In a lively, eloquent, deeply human way, Samuel Freedman brings his lifelong passion for social justice to a key turning point in our still-unfinished battle for true equality. Even people like me who disagreed with Hubert Humphrey over Vietnam will come away from this book with a deepened respect for the man who dragged his reluctant party to take a stand for civil rights. * Adam Hochschild *Samuel Freedman, one of the great chroniclers of modern America, provides us with a fascinating history of racial liberalism in Cold War America, unpacking the origin story of Hubert Humphrey's pathbreaking speech at the 1948 Democratic National Convention. Capturing a pivotal moment in the history of civil rights politics, Freedman's book is a significant contribution to the literature on American politics. * Julian Zelizer, author of The Fierce Urgency of Now *Freedman enlarges the reader's understanding of Humphrey while also offering vivid, rich, and unsettling details about politics, society, racism, and antisemitism in mid-twentieth-century America...An illuminating look at an important yet overlooked facet of American history. * John Rowen, Booklist *Compelling...Freedman offers an intimate and fine-grained depiction of Humphrey's early life and fledgling political career, as well as a revealing portrait of Minneapolis, a city of both gut-wrenching racism and creative civil rights initiatives. * Aram Goudsouzian, The Washington Post *Table of ContentsPrologue: Destiny's Crosshairs (1977) Chapter One: Beyond the Meridian (1922-1931) Chapter Two: Horse-high, Hog-tight, Bull-strong (1931-1936) Chapter Three: A Path Lit by Women (1933-1939) Chapter Four: The Silken Curtain and the Silver Shirt (1934-1939) Chapter Five: The Jim Crow Car (1939-1940) Chapter Six: Voice and Vessel (1941-1945) Chapter Seven: An Inventory of the Soul (1945-1947) Chapter Eight: The City of Brotherly Strife (Spring and Summer 1948) Chapter Nine: "A Drowning Man Wants to be Saved" (Fall 1948) Epilogue: Unfinished Business (1965-2020)
£25.64
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Martin Bormann
Book SynopsisBormann joined the Nazi Party in 1927 and quickly rose through its ranks. In July 1933 he became the Chief of Cabinet in the Office of the Deputy Fuhrer.
£21.25
Pen & Sword Books Ltd My Father Joachim von Ribbentrop: Hitler's
Book SynopsisOn 16 October 1946 Joachim von Ribbentrop, Hitler's wartime Foreign Minister, was executed at Nuremberg, convicted on four counts including deliberately planning a war of aggression and war crimes. In this first English Language edition of his memoirs, Rudolf von Ribbentrop frankly describes his relationship with his father when he was the german Ambassador in London and during the war years. Von Ribbentrop was an often isolated figure among the Nazi elite. In his final report from London von Ribbentrop informed Hitler that he was convinced that Great Britain would fight for its position in the world. He went on to play a key role forging the short-lived Pact with Stalin's Soviet Union. Far from being uncritical, the Author, now in his 90s, sets out to paint an objective picture of his Father's role. His unique position throws fascinating light on the unfolding dramatic events leading up to, and then the execution of, the Second World war. While the Author briefly describes his personal experiences including his war service with the SS, it is the insight this work provides into top level decision - making at the heart of the Third Reich that will appeal most to both historians and laymen.
£24.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Pioneering Life of Mary Wortley Montagu:
Book Synopsis300 years ago, in April 1721, a smallpox epidemic was raging in England. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu knew that she could save her 3-year-old daughter using the process of inoculation. She had witnessed this at first hand in Turkey, while she was living there as the wife of the British ambassador. She also knew that by inoculating - making her daughter the first person protected in the West - she would face opposition from doctors, politicians and clerics. Her courageous action eventually led to the eradication of smallpox and the prevention of millions of deaths. But Mary was more than a scientific campaigner. She mixed with the greatest politicians, writers, artists and thinkers of her day. She was also an important early feminist, writing powerfully and provocatively about the position of women. She was best friends with the poet Alexander Pope. They collaborated on a series of poems, which made her into a household name, an 'It Girl'. But their friendship turned sour and he used his pen to vilify her publicly. Aristocratic by birth, Mary chose to elope with Edward Wortley Montagu, whom she knew she did not love, so as to avoid being forced into marrying someone else. In middle age, her marriage stale, she fell for someone young enough to be her son - and, unknown to her, bisexual. She set off on a new life with him abroad. When this relationship failed, she stayed on in Europe, narrowly escaping the coercive control of an Italian conman. After twenty-two years abroad, she returned home to London to die. The son-in-law she had dismissed as a young man had meanwhile become Prime Minister.
£21.25
Fonthill Media Ltd Umberto Nobile and the Arctic Search for the
Book SynopsisThe Italian airship designer and pilot Umberto Nobile had flown to the North Pole and beyond in 1926. He resolved to go back to the Arctic with a new airship in 1928. There were areas of the Arctic that had not been explored and it was believed that new lands might be there to be discovered. The expedition had geographical and scientific aims, but the political environment was also an important motivator. Mussolini and his Fascist party had come to power in 1922 and a successful expedition to the Arctic would be good propaganda. Instead, however, the 'Italia' was to disappear on its return from Greenland, on 25 May 1928. By the time the expedition was over, eight of the crew and nine attempted rescuers were dead and scores more had been put in harm's way. This is the story of the search for Nobile, the 'Italia', and his crew, and the many men from many countries who searched for them.
£21.25
Vintage Publishing Eichmann before Jerusalem: The Unexamined Life of
Book SynopsisA New York Times Notable Book of 2014Smuggled out of Europe after the collapse of Germany, Eichmann managed to live a peaceful and active exile in Argentina for years before his capture by the Mossad. Though once widely known by nicknames such as 'Manager of the Holocaust', he was able to portray himself, from the defendant's box in Jerusalem in 1960, as an overworked bureaucrat following orders – no more, he said, than 'just a small cog in Adolf Hitler's extermination machine'.How was this carefully crafted obfuscation possible? How did a principal architect of the Final Solution manage to disappear? How had he occupied himself in hiding?Drawing upon an astounding trove of newly discovered documentation, Stangneth gives us a chilling portrait not of a reclusive, taciturn war criminal on the run, but of a highly skilled social manipulator with an inexhaustible ability to reinvent himself, an unrepentant murderer eager for acolytes to discuss past glories and vigorously planning future goals.Trade ReviewEichmann before Jerusalem is history at its best. Meticulously researched, compellingly argued, engagingly written. Bettina Stangneth confronts Hannah Arendt’s notion of the 'banality of evil' with important new evidence and nuanced insight, permitting a fresh and informed reassessment of this riven debate. Arendt would surely have applauded the Stangneth challenge -- Timothy W. RybackStangneth has mined an extraordinary trove of new documentary material… Meticulous, scholarly and highly readable... A tour de force of historical revision -- Ben Macintyre * The Times *Thanks to this brilliant book, exhaustively researched and convincingly argued, the veil has at last been lifted [on Eichmann's role in the Holocaust] -- Saul David * The Daily Telegraph *Absorbing... Bettina Stangneth's disturbing account of Adolf Eichmann's years in exile reveals the full extent of his cynicism, inhumanity and moral self-deception -- Richard J Evans * Guardian *Eichmann Before Jerusalem is both an unintimidated challenge to Hannah Arendt’s glib notion of Eichmann’s insignificance and a clear analysis of the origins and enduring uses of Holocaust Denial * Times Literary Supplement *
£12.34
