Biography: historical, political and military Books

Book SynopsisThis intriguing odyssey, set on the edges of time, encompasses biography, memoir, detective story, travelogue and history to tell a remarkable tale of East-West connections and a mysterious love. The author's quest begins when the word 'indigo' draws her to the illustrated journals, now in the British Library, of Victorian traveller Thomas Machell. She finds her life to have striking echoes of his, not least travels to and within India, a career in indigo, and a passion for journal writing. She is also intrigued by his aspiration to write 'a novel in the form of an autobiography' and by his quirky watercolour sketches. Retracing his footsteps - overland and by sea - from his ancestral home in the hills and dales of northern England to remote parts of the Middle East and Asia, she is often in her own footsteps too. Machell of Crackenthorpe, born in 1824, first demonstrated his yearning for adventure when only twelve, and at sixteen left the family rectory to fulfil his childhood dream of travelling to the East.By chance, he witnessed many important historical events, including the infamous First Opium War and the Indian Mutiny that profoundly affected British-Indian relationships. Machell spent most of his adult life in India, 'the land of my destiny' as he calls it; the author tracks him to the indigo and coffee plantations of rural Bengal and Kerala's Malabar Hills, to little known regions of central India; to the China Seas and remote islands of Polynesia and through the deserts of Arabia. This spellbinding book brings to life Machell's untold story, that of a spirited outsider at the time of the British Raj reaching into the future. Serendipity, intuition and an enchanting relationship, as well as the author's quest to uncover the missing years of Machell's life, give this book its magical extra dimension.

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

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

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Book SynopsisMinistering to Education is the first book by a former Welsh Government Minister since the creation of the National Assembly in 1999. As Education Minister in the Welsh Government from 2009 - 2013, Leighton Andrews was twice named Welsh Politician of the Year. This is his enlightening, frank and readable account of the education reforms initiated in the early years of Carwyn Jones's period as First Minister, and the complex challenges that still lie ahead to make the Welsh education system as good as any in the world. Offering the inside story on the reform journey Wales embarked upon, Andrews controversially reveals how he deliberately brought the media into the debate on school ranking. He debates the decision to regrade exam results when English Language GCSE exams came under fire in 2012, and the effect such decisions have had in setting the education systems of England and Wales on diverging paths. Student tuition fees was another area where Andrews led Wales in a different direction from England. Following Michael Gove's departure as Westminster Education Secretary, Andrews questions whether Wales or England has fared better and suggests what should happen next. Foreword by Sir Michael Barber.Trade Review"Irresponsible and mistaken" - Michael Gove "The best Education Minister in the UK" - Alistair Campbell

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

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Book SynopsisA relentless nautical drama that would define, or end, men’s lives.The English port city of Hull was home to ‘three day millionaires’ – trawlermen on brief shore leave. They were spilling cash from record catches. With months out working fierce seas, who knew if the next trip would be their last?The St Finbarr was set to change all that.She was built as the perfect trawler, no cost spared. She was the future of the industry. She was on her thirteenth voyage.The Grand Banks, Christmas Day 1966.No holiday for the crew. They weren’t fishing. They were battling for their lives. Who can survive a fireball at sea? The families of the crew had a cruel wait to find out. Ships hit the fierce seas off Newfoundland to join a two-day rescue mission. From first sparks to gut-wrenching heroics, The Luckiest Thirteen tracks a true story from the far reaches of what fishermen can do.Trade Review"A gripping story, told with eloquence and empathy, displaying again the filmic quality which makes Brian W. Lavery’s writing so special." – Alan Johnson, award-winning author of This Boy"Brian W. Lavery brings a journalist's eye for detail to a superbly realized tale of courage, loss and exceptional bravery. This is an important book, powerful, heart-breaking and triumphant."– David Mark, internationally acclaimed crime writer, Cruel Mercy, Dark Winter, The Zealot's Bones"With the novelist's eye for drama and the historian's eye for detail, no one writes Hull's recent history like Brian Lavery."– Nick Quantrill, Hull-based crime writer, arts commentator, critic and sports journalist"Another epic story from Brian W. Lavery - very well told, with some beautifully crafted detail. You really feel like you're there on that sinking, blazing ship -and you can't get off!"– Steve Humphries, documentary filmmaker and historian, Testimony Films, Bristol, UK"Brian’s book is both sad and happy for me – a tribute to the young man I loved and the men he sailed with – a tragedy recalled – but a love story too. I was glad he told our story."– Jill Long-Taylor-Harrison – widowed as teenaged pregnant young mom by the St Finbarr disaster"Brian W Lavery is the fishermen's clarion." – Retired skipper Ray Hawker, a technical adviser to the author

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Book SynopsisA Labour Whip once revealed that in their office they sang songs about certain backbenchers. In the case of the Member for Maryhill, their choice was ‘How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?’A frank account of fourteen years in Westminister from the rebellious Maria Fyfe – the only female Labour MP in Scotland when she was first elected. Fyfe recounts some of the most significant moments of her political career, from the frustrating and infuriating, to the rewarding and worthwhile.A significant aim of writing this book was to set the record straight on that period in our UK Parliament. Another aim was to encourage interest in a political life when widespread cynicism discourages good people from thinking about it. MARIA FYFECovering some of the most turbulent years of British and Scottish political history, A Problem Like Maria takes the female’s perspective of life as an MP in the male-dominated Westminister. This book reaches the parts of politics some people hope you never reach. The intimidating Maria Fyfe sounds like strong Scottish domestic drama. Edward Pearce, LONDON EVENING STANDARDThe terrifying Maria Fyfe stamped in … her of the sharpened claws. Matthew Parris, THE TIMESAn incorrigible Bevanite. THE OBSERVERTrade ReviewThe intimidating Maria Fyfe sounds like strong Scottish domestic drama. Edward Pearce, LONDON EVENING STANDARDThe terrifying Maria Fyfe stamped in … her of the sharpened claws. Matthew Parris, THE TIMESAn incorrigible Bevanite. THE OBSERVER

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Book SynopsisIn his time his revolutionary ideas appealed to women and he was surrounded by more than a generation of clever and forceful women. One who could say that ‘life is not really a gladiators’ show; it is rather a vast mothers’ meeting!’ could not fail to attract followers. WALTER STEPHENPatrick Geddes – Sociologist, Town Planner, Biologist, Peace Warrior. It is well known that this extraordinary Scot shaped the cityscape of Edinburgh, but for the first time Walter Stephen turns the lens onto the strong, wilful women who influenced the revolutionary man – and who were in turn influenced by him.From his wife and mother in Scotland, to a nun in India and a Marchioness in Ireland, this insightful volume shows the wide range of women across the globe whose lives intertwined with Geddes’s, whether professionally or personally.Delving deeper into Geddes’s personal life than ever before, Walter Stephen and his fellow Modern Geddesians go beyond the surface of the Scotsman’s acclaimed works to reveal the female characters that shaped him throughout his life. Contributors include: Veronica Burbridge, Siân Reynolds, Anne-Michelle Slater, Kenny Munro, Swami Narasimhananda, Sofia Leonard, Kenneth MacLean, Robert Morris and Kate Henderson.A well-researched and thoughtfully written book. SCOTTISH REVIEW OF BOOKS on The Evolution of Evolution[The book] makes the reader realise in what esteem Geddes should be held, not just in Scotland, but across the globe. LALLANS MAGAZINE on A Vigorous Institution

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

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Book SynopsisMajor Norton gave the order to fire two or three times … Their advanced machine gunners could be seen rushing forward and establishing themselves in commanding posts … Almost at once the ridge we were occupying was swept by machine gun fire … E.F. Norton lived a life of distinction in the declining years of the British Empire. Born into an accomplished, well-travelled family, he followed his heart and enlisted for a professional career as a soldier. A distinguished military career followed, punctuated with indulgences in his passion for exploration and mountaineering. The British Empire was starting to crumble, and Norton would be called upon more than once to rise to a variety of challenges. Norton’s gift for leadership was first demonstrated via his rapid progression through the ranks in the First World War, which paved the way for future leadership appointments, having earned the confidence and respect of those under his command. Events in the Second World War followed suit, when Norton was abruptly assigned the post of acting governor of Hong Kong, entrusted to save the civilian population from imminent Japanese invasion. The 1924 Everest expedition also exemplifies the pattern of having had leadership thrust upon him – in this case when General Charles Bruce was struck down by malaria on the approach march. Leading from the front, Norton set an altitude record for climbing on Everest without supplementary oxygen – a record only bettered in 1978 when Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler made the first ascent of Everest without oxygen. Yet tragedy would follow Norton’s achievement, when George Mallory and Andrew Irvine disappeared high on the mountain. In Norton of Everest, Hugh Norton has written sensitively and knowledgably about his father’s remarkable life as mountaineer, soldier, naturalist, artist and family man. As on Everest, the real story is not only the death of the gallant, but also the heroics of the quiet survivors like E.F. Norton. Table of ContentsForeword by Wade Davis; Preface; 1. The Early Years; 2. Soldiering; 3. A Pen Portrait; 4. Mountaineering; 5. The Middle Years; 6. Acting Governor of Hong Kong; 7. Retirement; Index.

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Book SynopsisImprobable Pioneers follows the lives of John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford (1766-1839), and Georgina Gordon (1781-1853), from their very different childhoods. In the course of their unlikely marriage they became closely involved with the scientific discoveries of the Enlightenment, the wonders of Romantic art and poetry and the key figures of both worlds. The two of them set out to explore the expanding worlds of both science and art, becoming improbable pioneers in politics, art and architecture, agriculture, botany and horticulture. Beyond this, Georgina shared her love for the places and people of the Highlands not only with her husband but with a young artist, Edwin Landseer, whose images of the Highland landscape are some of the most popular paintings of British art. Landseer became a central figure in the lives of the Bedfords. He is also at the centre of an enduring mystery: was he the Duchess’s lover – and the father of one of her children? This book not only follows the public and private lives of the Duke and Duchess, it also sheds light on the historic events of the time and captures the sheer excitement of the new discoveries of the Romantic age. Trade Review"Paints a moving portrait of a long and successful marriage enriched by a shared passion of the Arts, gardening and wild landscapes that reflected - and indeed, influenced - the spirit of the Romantic age. Enlivened with many images and extracts from contemporary sources, the book is also a fascinating study of Georgian Britain." * Country Life *"A lavish new volume offers a fascinating and comprehensive insight into the part the strath played in pioneering the Romantic Age...it is quality all through, its 560 pages weighing a ton and so many of them crammed with exquisite illustrations." * Strathspey & Badenoch Herald *"Davidson’s biography of the duke and duchess is a richly researched and detailed study of two important personalities and patrons of arts and sciences in Regency Britain. In their multifarious activities and interests, they embody the questing, Romantic spirit of the age, here vividly brought to life." * Burliington Magazine *

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Book SynopsisThe Lindsays of Balcarres began with the rediscovery of some dusty photograph albums at the home of the author’s late father in Fife. The wealth of images within, unexplored for over eighty years, provided the perfect way to present the fascinating untold stories of the people who had been brought up at Balcarres. The Lindsay family, which traces its roots back to the time of Charlemagne, almost lost everything after siding with the Stuarts for two hundred years, but fortunate marriages, colonial endeavours and the industrial revolution enabled them to create a new fortune and in 1848 successfully reclaim their position as the Premier Earls of Scotland. This renewal coincided with the birth of photography in the 1840s, which encouraged the family to capture moments of their leisure pursuits and other enthusiasms and the part they played in the events of their time. The collection also serves as a social history, recording the rapidly changing industries they were involved in and the relationships with their staff on which their way of life depended. The reader will encounter a gallery of colourful characters, including Elizabeth Lindsay, who married the 3rd Earl of Hardwicke in 1782 and became Vicereine of Ireland; her great-nephew, Robert, who joined the Guards at the outbreak of the Crimean War and carried the Queen’s Colours to the heights of Alma, earning him the first of two citations for the Victoria Cross; and his brother-in-law, Alexander, the 25th Earl of Crawford and his polymath son Ludovic, who together rebuilt the family library, Bibliotheca Lindesiana, into one of the world’s finest. Some of the earliest daguerreotypes in the family archive point to the enduring affinity that would develop between photography and the country house. It was the perfect medium for a family so deeply involved in both fine art and the latest technology. Ludovic Lindsay’s painstaking restoration of these remarkable family photographs and archival research mean that a chronicle of his forebears’ lives, told through over three hundred hitherto unpublished images, is for the first time possible.Trade Review"A collection of unique photographs, unexplored for 80 years, which present a fascinating cast of characters and shed light on over 150 years of leisure, travel, industry, relationships and passions in a family that has been at the heart of Scottish history for centuries." * History Scotland *"...Remarkable pictures...More than just a family’s memories, it offers an important glimpse into the nation’s social history through the story of one aristocratic family." * Scottish Field *"The wealth of images within, unexplored for over eighty years, provided the perfect way to present the fascinating untold stories of the people who had been brought up at Balcarres. The collection also serves as a social history, recording the rapidly changing industries they were involved in and the relationships with their staff on which their way of life depended." * Listed Property Owners Club magazine *“A superb testimony requiring the widest readership.” * The Field *“Forgotten but thankfully not lost, the Lindsay albums area fascinating and valuable archive.” * The Herald (Scotland) *“A diverting book of biography, richly illustrated with over 300 photographs." * The Victorian *“The photographs, which could so easily have overwhelmed the narrative, are skilfully pressed into service to personalise a fascinating slice of family, economic and national history.” * Historic House magazine *“…crammed with chapters on themes as diverse as electricity and yachts, as well as profiles on dozens of Ludovic’s ancestors.” * Scotland magazine *

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

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

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

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

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Book SynopsisThoroughly revised and expanded from the 2012 edition (twice the number of pages, almost double the number of illustrations) this book pays tribute to the man and his diverse works and achievements. James Hutton (1726-1797) was one of the first environmentalists, a man ahead of his time. He developed a grand theory of the Earth in which he tried to make sense of a lifetime of observation and deduction about the way in which our planet functions. For example, he connected temperature with latitude. His measurements, with rudimentary thermometers, of temperature changes between the base and summit of Arthur’s Seat, were remarkably accurate and he studied climate data from other parts of the world. A leading figure in the eighteenth-century Scottish Enlightenment, he was also an innovative farmer, successful entrepreneur and a man with endless intellectual curiosity. The year 2026 will be the tercentenary of his birth. There will be many special events leading up to and in that year organised by The James Hutton Institute, Scotland’s premier environmental and agricultural research organisation.Trade Review' … For anyone interested in the history and personalities of the Scottish Enlightenment, McKirdy's book must be essential reading, and will gently initiate those readers into the glories of Scottish geology. The book is equally valuable as a contribution to the history of science more generally. Even for those who think they know all about Hutton and his works, I guarantee a few surprises … ' Scottish Journal of Geology 'James Hutton was one of the first environmentalists ... ' Arran Banner Table of ContentsDedication Forewords Introduction 1. Hutton's early life and studies 2. Hutton the traveller 3. Hutton the farmer 4. Permanent return to Edinburgh 5. Hutton and the Scottish Enlightenment 6. Theory of the Earth 7. Trial of Hutton's Theory of the Earth by fieldwork 8. Hutton's final years 9. Hutton's legacy 10. Places to visit Further reading and watching Acknowledgements and image credits Index

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Book SynopsisAs a student revolutionary, Xi Zhongxun saw that China’s communists had only one source of strength: not money, not modern arms, not foreign aid, but the support of China’s ‘plain folk’. For him, the maxim ‘Serve the People’ was an imperative. After coming to power, some officials forgot service, and instead began to act as masters. However, Xi Zhongxun was never one of those who forgot.Xi spent years in wrongful imprisonment for this devotion to principle. But at no time did he waver from his faith in a bright future for China, which he was certain would be led by an enlightened Communist Party. Even before he was exonerated, he continued his fight against wrong.Xi Zhongxun: Father of a Great Nation’s Leader tells the story of this incredible man, who went on to become the father of Xi Jinping, the current leader of the People’s Republic of China.

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Book SynopsisRen Zhongyi was criticised and struggled against no less than 2,300 times from the start of the Cultural Revolution. So many years of violent attacks against him that were enough to break lesser men merely caused Ren to strengthen his resolve and bide his time to work on what he regarded as his mission in life: to modernise the country and make it strong. Ren was so often able to balance steely determination to adopt innovative methods to get the job done with a pragmatic willingness not to be so stubborn and unbending as to alienate those who opposed him.Ren Zhongyi: Frontline Fighter and Economic Reformer is a fascinating and moving account of this pioneer of economic reform in China, who played such an important role in transforming the southern province of Guangdong and opening up the country to the outside world.

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

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Book SynopsisWan Li, a Shandong native, operated at the highest level of party and government during his long and illustrious career. Arguably his finest hour was the ground-breaking agricultural reforms he pushed through in the impoverished rural areas of Anhui province. The reforms proved so successful that they were later extended countrywide and legally enshrined in the constitution. As minister of railways in 1975, his claim to fame was getting rid of factionalism among railway workers and leaders, getting the trains to run on time, and reviving railway construction to enable it to facilitate national economic growth.Wan Li: Resolute Reformer and Legislator is illustrated with numerous rare photographs charting the life story of this key figure in 20th-century Chinese politics. Readers will be able to trace the footsteps of this steadfast reformist from a childhood of poverty in Shandong Province to the highest levels of authority within the Chinese Communist Party.

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Book SynopsisA remarkable figure of British politics between the late Victorian and interwar years, Lord Lansdowne was among the last hereditary aristocrats to wield power by birth. Over the course of a distinguished fifty year career he served as Governor-General of Canada, Viceroy of India, Secretary of State for War, Foreign Secretary and Leader of the House of Lords. It was Lansdowne who engineered the crucial changes in British foreign policy and the burden of Britain's imperial commitments, led the House of Lords through one of the most divisive periods of modern times and at the end of the First World War became a figure of notoriety greater than any of the popular leaders of the day. Descended from one the Great Whig families, he was a moderate progressive incapable of discourtesy or of any dishonesty. He was trusted by everyone. His life illustrates the challenges that his class had to face at this time and acts as a prism through which to view the transition of Britain from a global force to a much reduced power. This authoritative text, based on the first full examination of Lansdowne's extensive archive, draws this great man out of the shadows and presents him in the context of his own time, offering a fascinating insight into the leading personalities and political events of his day. Simon Kerry's biography shows that many of the issues Lansdowne faced are still important today and that his career profoundly affected the course of modern history.Trade Review"Simon (Earl of) Kerry is a direct descendant of Lansdowne and the current heir to his title, but this book is no work of family piety....The last great Whig would not have wanted a biography written passionately in his defence. Simon Kerry lays out the facts of a remarkable life fully and with calm authority. That is what this forgotten statesman would have regarded as the proper course, and it makes this book a major contribution to modern political history."--Lord Lexden, OBE "This extremely well-researched and well-written biography by Simon Kerry... shows that Lansdowne was much more than just a safe pair of hands.... [T]his book marks the arrival on the scene of a major new sleuthing historian of modern Britain. His efforts have been well rewarded by an avalanche of new material not mentioned in the only other biography of Lansdowne, which was published in 1929."--Andrew Roberts "Literary Review " "The 5th Marquess of Lansdowne's life coincides with the Victorian high point of the British Empire, and he had an enormous part in it. He was a grandee of grandees. . . . This is an admiring biography also in the Victorian mould."--Norman Stone "The Oldie "; `Simon Kerry should...be congratulated for writing the first modern Life of such a relic from a bygone time....Kerry's great achievement is his re-evaluation of Lansdowne's ministerial career between 1895-1905...as War Minister...If one concludes this biography with a sense of irony, it is because all of the things that Lansdowne was feted for in his lifetime...have become worthless or reprehensible...whereas the gesture for which he was politically vilified and socially ostracised is the one which will probably win the greatest admiration of the modern reader' Ian Cawood, Times Literary Supplement; `Lansdowne lived on until 1927. By then, events had swept away much of what he had sought to preserve. Neither his principles nor his political style seemed to have a place in a world torn between mass democracy and revolution. But his Whiggish commitment to liberal politics—the kind that combines duty, restraint and prudence with orderly government—need not be judged naive or passé. Indeed, Mr. Kerry’s fine study of the man and his world shows how necessary such a commitment remains today’ Wall Street Journal

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Book SynopsisHanna Sheehy Skeffington was the most significant feminist in twentieth-century Ireland - an activist, writer and polemicist of the highest rank. An advocate of feminism, socialism, and republicanism, her writings - published in Britain and America as well as Ireland - transcended national boundaries. In these pages we experience the excitement of the suffrage years, anti-war campaigns, prison experiences, the impact of the brutal killing of her husband, meetings with Prime Minister Asquith and President Wilson, the bitter years of civil war, impressions of Bolshevik Russia, inter-war Europe, her friendship with Constance Markievicz, debates with Sean O'Casey, and her involvement in feminist campaigns against the exclusion of women from public life during the 1930s and 1940s. Her organisational abilities were recognised by the leaders of the Easter Rising, who agreed she would be the sole female member of a civil provisional government, to be formed if the Rising was a success.She remained an activist throughout her life, an advocate for a Workers' Republic, serving a prison sentence in Armagh jail in 1933, campaigning against the Constitution in 1937 and standing for election to the Dail as an independent feminist in 1943. Her political writings, including book and theatre reviews, newspaper articles, reminiscences, interviews, obituaries, and analysis of key events in the first half of the twentieth century- authoritative, passionate and witty - provide the reader with an indispensable source for understanding the personalities and the issues behind the long march for women's equality and national independence in Ireland.Trade Review`This is a thematically organised work that scholars of Irish and women's history will surely turn to time and again ...'Jennifer Martin, Books Ireland, March 2018; `What is striking is how fresh Sheehy Skeffington's voice still seems, particularly on the long campaign for women's rights. ... The book is particularly vivid in charting the struggle for suffrage -- a timely subject ahead of next year's centenary of (some) women gaining the vote. ... Hers was a journey that deserves commemoration, and this new collection does so with gusto and authority.' Catherine Healy, Sunday Business Post, Nov 2017; `...an extensive and valuable collection that makes for a thoroughly engaging read. ...a tremendous primary resource to support the still neglected, but growing, area of Irish women's history and gender history more broadly.' Sonja Tiernan, The Irish Catholic, Nov 2017; `The value of this kind of volume is demonstrated by the immediacy, passion and humour of the prose, happening in real time when no one knew the outcome. ... Margaret Ward has done us a service in assembling these writings carefully, so that a clear and distinctive voice can be heard in her own words.' Catriona Crowe, Irish Times, Oct 2017; `What's most striking about Sheehy Skeffington's prose is its sheer resilience, nobility, and belief in the concept of justice at all costs: even in the face of despair, grief, and anguish. ... I would place [Hanna's] prison diaries alongside writing from other political figures who penned some of their best work behind bars, such as Italian Marxist, Antonio Gramsci, and Indian pacifist Mahatma Gandhi.' J. P. O'Malley, Sunday Independent, Oct 2017; `She was a truly remarkable woman and deserves nothing less than to have her writings presented to us by an historian of the calibre of Margaret Ward and more importantly to have them read, the better to inspire our thoughts and actions today.' Liberty newspaper, Oct 2017; 'The collection of Hanna's writing, which also comprises Hanna's unpublished memoir fragments, is an important addition to our understanding of a woman ahead of her time.' Martina Devlin, Irish Independent, Oct 2017; `The production is handsome and a significant contribution to the recovery of Irish women's history in the gestation, birth, and withering away of the national revolution.' Emmet O'Connor, Irish History Review, Oct 2017;“Her great heart stopped too soon”, the Irish Press observed in its obituary. “It was worn out in the pursuit of many causes..”. That great heart still beats through her writings and Ward has done a great service in collecting them.';Mary Carolan, Women's History Association of Ireland, August 2018; `Hanna’s life and work now made available in this definitive collection was certainly a model for women, but the question remains why did the model fail to engage Irish women until the later generation of Irish feminists?’; Irish Literary Supplement. Fall 2018Table of ContentsForeword by Micheline Sheehy Skeffington; Chronology of Hanna Sheehy Skeffington's Life and Times; chapter 1: Unpublished Memoirs; chapter 2: Women and Education; chapter 3: Women, the National Movement and Sinn Fein; chapter 4: Votes for Women; chapter 5: War and Pacifism; chapter 6: Death of a Pacifist; chapter 7: After the Rising In America; chapter 8: The War of Independence and the Treaty; chapter 9: Opposing the `Free State'; chapter 10: Hanna and Sean O'Casey; chapter 11: Travels in Europe; chapter 12: Memories of Countess Markievicz; chapter 13: The 1930s. Feminist Reflections and Feminist Fightback; chapter 14: Prison Experiences; chapter 15: Looking Backwards. War, Election and Final Years; chapter 16: Book and Theatre Reviews; chapter 17: Obituaries of Hanna Sheehy Skeffington; Notes; Selected Reading; Index

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Book SynopsisMaud Gonne has long been viewed merely as a contemporary of more prominent literary, political and legal figures who played a role in Irish politics of the early twentieth century. While Eva Gore-Booth has been the subject of recent critical attention, much less notice has been paid to Gonne. This succinct biography highlights the significance of Gonne as a political and literary figure in her own right and utilises archival resources in a detailed study of her role as a political activist, journalist, reviewer and also as a founder and editor of nationalist publications. Drawing on previously unpublished correspondence and interviews, this book offers an important re-evaluation of Gonne's contribution to the political and social landscape of early twentieth-century Ireland. It contributes to the growing emphasis in scholarship on the roles played by women in the formation of the Irish state.Trade Review'The book has a useful chronology of Gonne’s life, and selected biographies of many of the people in it, plus full notes and index.' Irish Examiner, Oct 2019

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Book SynopsisThis full-length biographical study - substantially rewritten and updated - of one of the most important women in Irish political life in the 20th century is now reissued by UCD Press. Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, part of a pioneering generation, played a significant role in the early Irish Republic. Hanna Sheehy Skeffington was a leading figure in the suffrage movement, she was an activist in the anti-war movement of 1914-18 and was an executive member of Sinn Fein. She opposed the Free State and provided consistent support for women's resistance to anti-women measures enacted by both Cumann na nGaedheal and Fianna Fail. Her later career saw her as an electoral candidate to the Dail in 1943 and she proved herself fearless in her fight for justice, confronting both the British Prime Minister and the President of the United States of America. Incorporating new archival research and featuring an array of newly discovered images, Ward brings to light previously unpublished material about Hanna's personal life: her relationship with her husband and her role as a single parent. This timely revised edition serves to highlight the fascinating life of a pivotal figure in feminist, labour and nationalist movements in Ireland.Trade ReviewWard's book offers a vision of Irish feminism in its complexity, revealing the subtler and more nuanced relationships that crossed ideological differences, as well as the friendships and alliances among feminists in Ireland, England, America and Europe. Through close and devoted study of Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, scholars may see how all the theatrics of resistance - choreographies, stage business, the orchestration of shots, interruptions, heckling - is developed and transmuted. She remains a powerful feminist ancestor to study and admire. Lucy McDiarmid, Irish Literary Supplement It takes a book like this to remind us how women have been written out of mainstream Irish history. In this biography of Hanna Sheehy Skeffington she draws out of oblivion the history of Irish feminism in the first decades of this century. When one reads Margaret Ward's account of that period it is astounding that such consistent political action was omitted from Irish history. Ethna Viney, Irish Times ;Margaret Ward's biography of Hanna Sheehy Skeffington reveals her to have been a remarkable woman in her own right who established a militant suffrage movement in Ireland, supported the organization of women workers and went on to become a significant figure in Sinn Fein. Throughout her life Hanna faced the difficult task of balancing the claims of her feminism and her commitment to Irish independence. Margaret Ward gives a balanced account, sifting through stories and myths. Sheila Rowbotham, The Times; Margaret Ward is one of a number of women historians who have been engaged in excavating the history of women in Ireland and the history of Irish feminism. This biography is an important contribution to that process. ;Catriona Crowe, Sunday TribuneTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsList of IllustrationsFamily TreeChronology of Hanna Sheehy Skeffington’s Life and TimesSuffrage Friends and Colleagues of Hanna Sheehy Skeffington1Early Years 1877–19002The Making of a Feminist 1900–19033Partnership 1903–19084A Feminist Mother 1908-19105The Stone and The Shillelagh 1910–19126Outlaws 1912–19147'Rolling Up the Map of Suffrage' 1914–19168Death of a Pacifist 19169Challenging the Empire 1917–191810A Feminist Sinn Féiner 1918–192111Republican Envoy 1921–192512The Struggle Continues 1925–193213Feminism, Republicanism, Communism 1932–193714‘The Seeds Beneath the Snow’ 1937–1946Notes BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisDorothy Macardle - literary teacher, propagandist journalist, political playwright, gothic fiction novelist - is a multi-faceted woman who has remained too often below the radar of historical recognition. In Dorothy Macardle Leeann Lane intends to change this. She is most remembered as the author of The Irish Republic (1937): a full-scale history of the revolutionary period from an anti-Treaty perspective commissioned by de Valera. A bestseller, it became the definitive book of the period fixing Macardle's reputation for too long as merely de Valera's mouthpiece. Yet, as Leann Lane puts forth, Macardle was much more than its author. An intellectually strong, politically persuasive and stoically independent woman: Macardle was beholden to no one. From Sinn Fein propagandist to the gradualist republicanism of Fianna Fail to ardent feminist and gothic novelist, Macardle's personal and political evolution is mapped out for us by Lane in the pages of this book. Exploring her Jail Journal as first-hand source material, the early evolution of Macardle's political thought and action is revealed to us. The wealth of new archival material in the Bureau of Military History Witness Statements and the Military Service Pension Collection is deeply examined, presenting a who's who of Irish republican history as we learn about the many people and events that influenced Macardle's life. Central to the story is an analysis of the commitment of Macardle to female activist politics as she moves further from de Valera's reach, often expressed in subterranean or subversive ways. Macardle's opposition to the position of women in the 1936 Conditions of Employment Act and, most particularly, in the 1937 Constitution was not overt on political platforms but Lane reveals to us that a deep criticism is contained within the pages of her gothic novels published in the 1940s. Insightful readings of her later writing, including her most influential novels The Uninvited (1942) and The Unforeseen (1946), showcases Macardle as a short story writer, playwright and gothic novelist of republican and feminist intent. This is a rich biographical journey through Dorothy Macardle's writing as propagandist, social commentator, republican and feminist. It affirms Macardle's place as one of the foremost activist polemicists as the new Irish State unchained itself from its colonial past and asserted an independent political and cultural identity to be reckoned with.Trade Review'Dr. Lane's close reading of Macardle's reportage, plays, fiction, poetry and what is known of her life produces a rounded examination of the development of her political and social intellect set in the context of the revolution and the lean years that followed, and is a welcome addition to the growing historiography on female activists and feminist politics in the early years of the state.' Irish Literary Supplement, Spring 2021 |||| 'Leeann Lane’s study brings together personal writings, archival material, political propaganda and literary publications to reconstruct the fascinating life of an individual whose involvement in cultural and political life is undoubtedly deserving of attention.' Irish Historical Studies, Nov 2020 'Dorothy Macardle was much more than de Valera's mouthpiece: she was a politically persuasive and stoically independent woman'. Leeann Lane in the Irish Independent, November 2019Table of ContentsAcknowledgements List of Illustrations Introduction 1Towards Revolutionary Politics: 1889-1922 2Civil War Imprisonment 3Post-Jail Propaganda 4Literature and Cultural Protest 5Parliamentary Politics and the Establishment of Fianna Fail 6The Politics of War: Irish and European Perspectives 7Critiquing Gender Roles 8Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisMargaret Skinnider enters and exits the history books as the female rebel who was wounded commanding a military action in the 1916 Rising. In a re-evaluation of Skinnider's long and politically active life, this biography considers the life of a woman who deserves her place in Irish social, political and trade union histories. Coming of age among the Irish diaspora in a Glasgow where militancy in socialism, feminism and Irish nationalism were inspirational ideologies, Skinnider was a suffragette, trade union activist, socialist, and militant Irish nationalist. Arriving in Dublin in 1916 and brimming with commitment to the causes that had suffused her childhood and adolescence, Skinnider would go on to give much service to her adopted country, Ireland. During the next five decades of her life, she remained an active feminist, trade union activist and Irish republican. The study also looks at Skinnider's, until now, more hidden history, her committed relationship with her lifelong partner, fellow Cumann na mBan member and feminist activist, Nora O'Keeffe. Among the newest additions to the Life and Times New Series, this monograph considers the importance of researching and writing political women's biography, of fully considering the roots of their ideologies, and of understanding their lifelong commitments to activism.Trade Review'Mary McAuliffe’s meticulously researched biography seeks to shed light on a complex woman living an extraordinary life ... Woven through her fascinating and accessible narrative of Skinnider is a call to recognise the fundamental importance of women’s stories within history and a striving effort to speak back into a cultural and historical silence.' Becky Long, Irish Times May 202 |||

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Book SynopsisThis intriguing book is really a detective story, revealing what turned out to be a most unusual cast of characters and some eyebrow-raising family secrets. It is a story of wealth and privilege, unhealthily close family connections, and pedigrees of both the human and canine varieties. Centre stage are three eccentric, quintessentially English sisters - Letitia, Maud and Mary - whose story vividly captures a way of life that no longer exists. Spanning counties, grand houses and centuries, William M. Hartley draws on oral and archival sources to give us a fascinating glimpse inside `a most singular household' which adds greatly to the social history of both the North West and Great Britain.Table of ContentsList of Illustrations vii Preface x Family Trees: The Hornby Family Tree xii The Sheridan/Gore Jones Family Tree xiv The Satterthwaite Family Tree xvi Chapters: 1. Arrival in Buxton in reduced circumstances 1 - Solomon's Temple 7 2. The hunt for the Will - my introduction to the Satterthwaites 8 3. The aristocratic connection 14 4. Dalton Hall influence, the Living at Disley and yet more good connections 25 5. The Dark Secret 34 - A little aside - Sambo's Grave and Fanny's Hand 42 - Robert Gillow, the cabinet maker 45 6. In Chancery 47 7. The Sheridan Connection and Paternal Grandpapa 52 8. Life at Stonehurst - the first twenty years 60 9. Uncles, Aunts and Uncle Geoffie - a surprising disappointment 70 10. Continuing life at Stonehurst - the separate lives of Maud and Lettie 79 11. The Fire 85 12. Maud's Funeral 88 13. Lettie alone, the trip to Lichfield and an unseemly outrage 91 14. Matrons' Challenge 96 15. The Satterthwaite Bequest 99 Appendix showing map of Sunderland Point, Bazil, Glasson Dock and River Lune 104 Acknowledgements 105 Select Bibliography 107 Index 108

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

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

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Book Synopsis"[The book explores] how lives interconnect, how we are all creatures of our time, how rich and complex life is in this sometimes shy and reticent city. Not for a moment does our interest flag."—Alexander McCall Smith Set in 66 Queen Street, a townhouse in Edinburgh’s New Town, this book tells the story of people and events associated with the house for 210 years from 1790 and whose lives were empowered by the Scottish Enlightenment. From the builder of the White House, the hero of Aboukir Bay, a murderer who inspired Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, to a decadent society hostess, the diverse characters range from heroes to villains and from people of conscience to subjects of tabloid scandal and moral prurience. Edinburgh emerges from its past to become the intellectual, banking and professional capital of an enlightened Scotland. The story reflects how our modern world is shaped but above all it is about its people; some masters of their circumstances and others prisonersTrade Review"[The book explores] how lives interconnect, how we are all creatures of our time, how rich and complex life is in this sometimes shy and reticent city. Not for a moment does our interest flag."—Alexander McCall SmithTable of ContentsContents Foreword Introduction 1—A Letter from the White House 2—The Hero of Aboukir Bay 3—800 Candles 4—A Visit from Dr Simpson 5—Lawyers and Deal-Makers 6—Enter Mr Hyde 7—The Fish Rots from the Head 8—Rescuing the Aristocracy 9—The Governor’s Treasure 10—Beppo, George and Jenny 11—Love Story 12—The Duchess and the Judge 13—A Question of Identity 14—Towards a New Enlightenment Notes Bibliography List of illustrations Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisAgainst the frightening backdrop of World War II, a young Scottish woman took ten children by ship through the waters of the Atlantic from Scotland to South Africa, where she set up a home for them called Bairnshaven. An unusual portrayal of motherhood, nuclear family and love, Marjorie's story comes to life through diary pages, letters, telegrams and photographs. This true story is a fresh take on the role that women played during the war, highlighting the strength and courage shown, and focusing on hope and unconditional kindness.Trade ReviewBook Review – Marjorie's Journey by Ailie Cleghorn In 1940 Britain was at war. Bombs were falling on major cities from Glasgow to Plymouth, coastal defences were in place, and the Atlantic was full of German U-boats. On 29 July Marjorie Anderson Marnoch boarded the Winchester Castle and sailed from Glasgow to Cape Town. With her travelled twelve children, the oldest aged ten, and the youngest just nine months. In South Africa Marjorie set up a home for them all in the small town of Robertson. The home was called Bairnshaven, and the ‘family’ lived there very happily for the duration of the war and beyond it. Now Ailie Cleghorn, Marjorie’s second cousin and a professor emerita at Concordia University in Montreal, has researched her story. Marjorie’s Journey: On A Mission of her Own is an immensely readable and very interesting account of the life of this remarkable woman. Marjorie was born in Ceylon in 1906; her parents George and Harriet had left Aberdeen 18 months earlier when George had taken up a position in the Colonial Service. Sadly Harriet died when Marjorie was just 3 years old; George left her in the care of Harriet’s sister Agnes and her husband John and departed for Canada, where he was to work until 1936. Marjorie grew up with her cousins Sheena (the author’s mother) and Agnes in the Marnoch home in Albyn Place, Aberdeen. The family was fairly affluent (John was a doctor) but Marjorie had a miserable childhood and was treated badly by her aunt. She was sent to boarding school at the age of four, and was happier there. "She was petted and cossetted by the older girls and had a happy life during term time. School was a safe haven….the holidays in the Marnoch home were the most difficult times for her." Ailie Cleghorn feels that Marjorie’s early experiences were what led her to train as a teacher and develop such empathy for other lonely or neglected children. Marjorie wanted to leave the Marnoch home as soon as possible, but was prevented by her aunt from doing so until 1936, when her father retired and returned to live at Parkstone in Dorset, where she joined him. It was at Parkstone that Marjorie, now a trained Montessori educator, set up her first preschool and home for the children of parents working abroad (mainly, like her own, in the colonies.) Three years later World War Two began. Marjorie tried in vain to find a suitable property to move the children to away from the endangered south coast. In 1940 one of the parents, a brigadier general, asked her to take his daughter – and the children of all the other parents who agreed – away from the war. A month later they were on a blacked-out night train travelling from London to Glasgow. Marjorie had decided to sail from Scotland because the docks of her first choice, Southampton, had just been bombed, and there were rumours that those at Liverpool were about to suffer the same fate. Just before the group left Parkstone the air and sea protection of Glasgow harbour was removed. Marjorie decided to go anyway. "…we all stood at the rail on deck for a few moments. Rob next to me was yelling ‘Goodbye, goodbye!’ to the little man from South Africa House…" On the first night of the voyage the Winchester Castle was chased by a submarine, which it finally shook off at 3am. Thereafter the ship had to zig zag all the way to try to avoid the enemy, but three weeks later she docked safely in Cape Town. The family’s new life had begun. "I was struck by how Marjorie’s children truly escaped the horrors of war, to have the horrors replaced by safety, companionship, love and a happy life at Bairnshaven." In 1980 Marjorie wrote a 28 page letter to that nine month old baby, Sandy, then 40 years old himself, in which she told him in detail about the journey to South Africa and their life in Robertson. Twenty years later Ailie Cleghorn came across it in her family’s files, and her curiosity was sparked. She began to investigate. Ailie’s research led her to visit Scotland, England, South Africa, Robertson and Bairnshaven, and she also tried to contact Marjorie’s surviving children, with some of whom she became good friends. The children had many happy memories of their time with Marjorie, of life in the small Afrikaans-speaking town (where they attended the local school and soon became bilingual) with their menagerie of pets, of summers spent outside enjoying picnics by the Breede river or riding ponies, and of holidays at Umhlanga Rocks. In 1947 the nearby town of Worcester received a royal visit from King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and the royal princesses. The children were presented to them, and this chapter of Marjorie’s Journey includes the thank you letter that Sandy wrote to the Queen and a collection of the children’s comments reproduced by Marjorie in her 1980 letter to Sandy; "Angela: please Aunty let’s cut off that bit of Malcolm’s hair and frame it, and say ‘This hair has been stroked by the Queen of England.'" Ailie Cleghorn quotes extensively from fascinating original sources, especially Marjorie’s long letter to Sandy, but also from her conversations with the ‘children’ she managed to track down. She also updates their stories, and again it is so interesting to find out what happened to them after the war, and where they ended up. Some returned to South Africa, the happy memories of their time there drawing them back. Some settled in other parts of Africa, in Canada and in the UK. "The testimonies of so many of them in the following years, even to this day, confirm that she gave them the best possible childhood." Marjorie’s own story is also completed; she returned to the UK in 1951 and soon started Fledglings, a new early years school at Richmond, near London, Ailie Cleghorn visited Marjorie several times after the war so is able to give a first-hand account of her memories. She also met with Marjorie’s fellow teacher Anne Maconochie and quotes from Anne’s spoken and written accounts of life at Fledglings. And it is these personal, intimate moments, together with the many touching photos of Marjorie’s own childhood, and of the Bairnshaven children then and now, that bring this wonderful book to life. As an academic, Ailie speaks of her own initial dilemma as to how to approach telling Marjorie’s story. As part of the same family, she felt she was an outsider looking in but also an insider, both distant and familiar, observer and participant. Whatever her own worries may have been she need not have had them, for her well researched and deeply absorbing book is an excellent testament to the life of a courageous, caring Scottish woman, one for whom kindness and compassion were all. In Ailie’s own words; "With her roots in Scotland, Marjorie deserves a place in that country’s history, adding to the all too few accounts of Scottish women and war." -- Rosemary Kaye * The Edinburgh Reporter *In Ailie's own words; "With her roots in Scotland, Marjorie deserves a place in that country’s history, adding to the all too few accounts of Scottish women and war." -- Rosemary Kaye * The Edinburgh Reporter *Professor David McCrone writes of Marjorie’s Journey that “It is testament to the triumph of the human spirit; that one woman could have achieved so much simply by force of will, in the context of a fairly miserable childhood, and against all the odds” – Scottish Affairs -- David McCrone * The life of Marjorie *Carol Rowan writes for the Journal of the History of Childhood and Youth that, “Cleghorn’s text provides the contemporary reader, student, and scholar insights into the construction of white privilege and at the same time opportunities to reconceptualize notions of ‘family’.” -- Carol Rowan * Marjorie’s Journey: On a mission of her own. *"I marvel at how one, single woman could offer so many children hope, and unconditional kindness. Her physical strength, fortitude, and ability to adjust and surmount challenges are the hallmarks of a true teacher whose passion is her calling." -- Rinelle Evans * University of Pretoria, South Africa *

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Book SynopsisElizabethan Secret Agent: The Untold Story of William Ashby (1536-1593) is the biography of William Ashby, Elizabethan intelligence agent and diplomat who served as ambassador to Scotland during the Spanish Armada crisis. It provides a fresh social, political and foreign policy insight from the perspective of a gentleman spy who took part in some of the most important events of his time. Much of the book is focused on the Anglo-Scottish geo-political relationship during the decade of 1580-1590, with its machinations and bizarre background stories. Prior to Ashby’s ambassadorial appointment, he served as a senior ‘intelligencer’ for Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth’s spymaster.Trade Review"[A] fascinating, exciting, and at times all too familiar tale of political conspiracies, double agents, personal rivalries and the perennial quest, by states and by individuals, for power and control...Tim Ashby is to be commended on this excellent tribute to his distant relative, which is also an illuminating account of life in Tudor and Stuart times."—The Edinburgh ReporterTable of ContentsCONTENTS List of Illustrations Introduction Prologue – ‘the benefits conferred on us by our ancestors’ Part One – Early Life Chapter I - Education Chapter II - Exile Chapter III – Return to an unhappy land Part Two – On Her Majesty’s Service Chapter IV – Walsingham’s Intelligencer Chapter V – The Queen’s vacillation Chapter VI – Low Countries reconnaissance operation Chapter VII - Purgatory in the Low Countries Chapter VIII – Brigands on the Rhine Part Three – Scotland Chapter IX - Anglo-Scottish animosity Chapter X – Walsingham’s failed diplomatic mission Chapter XI - Universal miscontent in the country Chapter XII – The Armada cometh Chapter XIII – Ashby’s ambassadorship to Scotland Chapter XIV – The approach of the Spaniards causes Ashby to make offers to the King Chapter XV – A necessary play of penitence Chapter XVI – ‘... the great ship was blown in the air’ Chapter XVII – Ashby reveals to James a plot against him by his own lairds Chapter XVIII - The lairds’ open insurrection Chapter XIX – Fowler’s defamation of Ashby Chapter XX - Ashby tarries in Edinburgh while the King seeks his bride Chapter XXI – Vindication Chapter XXII – A last plot foiled before death’s gloomy shade Appendix I - Sir Robert Naunton Appendix II - Dramatis Personae Bibliography Notes

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Book SynopsisThe true story of the Lady of the Mercians. At the end of the ninth century AD, a large part of what is now England was controlled by the Vikings – heathen warriors from Scandinavia who had been attacking the British Isles for more than a hundred years. Alfred the Great, king of Wessex, was determined to regain the conquered lands but his death in 899 meant that the task passed to his son Edward. In the early 900s, Edward led a great fightback against the Viking armies. He was assisted by the English rulers of Mercia: Lord Æthelred and his wife Æthelflæd (Edward’s sister). After her husband’s death, Æthelflæd ruled Mercia on her own, leading the army to war and working with her brother to achieve their father’s aims. Known to history as the Lady of the Mercians, she earned a reputation as a competent general and was feared by her enemies. She helped to save England from the Vikings and is one of the most famous women of the Dark Ages. This book, published 1100 years after her death, tells her remarkable story.Trade Review'An enjoyable read and meticulously researched. Lucid, deft, highly recommended' * Historical Novels Society *

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Book SynopsisDavid I was never expected to become king, but on succeeding to the Scottish throne in 1124 he quickly demonstrated that he had the skills, ruthlessness and ambition to become one of the kingdom’s greatest rulers. Drawing on the experiences and connections of his youth spent at the court of his brother-in-law, Henry I of England, and moulded by the dominant personality and intense piety of his mother, St Margaret, he set out to transform his inheritance and create a powerful and dynamic kingship. After neutralising all challengers to his position and building a new powerbase that drew on support from both Scotland’s native nobles and the English and French knights whom he settled in his realm, David emerged as a power-broker in mid twelfth-century Britain as England descended into civil war. He pursued his wife Matilda’s lost inheritance in Northumbria, gaining control over much of northern England and giving him access to economic resources that allowed him to invest in patronage of the reformed monastic orders, and in the reconfiguration of the secular Church in Scotland. The peace and stability of his kingdom, coupled with the economic boom brought by burgeoning population during an era of benign climate conditions, secured him a reputation as a saintly visionary who achieved the cultural and political transformation of Scotland.Trade Review'an absorbing work, packed with details and analysis, and is perhaps the most comprehensive volume available about this king and his times. Extensive footnotes, maps, and genealogy charts complement the text ... Highly recommended' -- D. M. Hall, Lake Erie College * CHOICE Connect *

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