{"title":"Political leaders and leadership Books","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"the-courage-to-be-free-9780008610180","title":"The Courage to Be Free","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo American leader has accomplished more for his state than Governor Ron DeSantis. Now he reveals how he did it.He played baseball for Yale, graduated with honours from Harvard Law School and served in Iraq and in the halls of Congress. But in all these places, Ron DeSantis learned the same lesson: he didn't want to be part of the leftist elite.His heart was always for the people of Florida, one of the most diverse and culturally rich states in the union. Since becoming governor of the Sunshine State, he has fought  and won  battle after battle, defeating not just opposition from the political left, but a barrage of hostile media coverage proclaiming the end of the world. In 2022, the governor delivered a historic, record-setting victory, winning by nearly 20 points and more than 1.5 million votes.A first-hand account from the blue-collar boy who grew up to take on Disney and Dr Fauci, The Courage to Be Free is a rallying cry for everyone who wishes to preserve their liberties","brand":"HarperCollins Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47832574034263,"sku":"9780008610180","price":22.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780008610180.jpg?v=1710335619"},{"product_id":"never-give-an-inch-9780063247444","title":"Never Give an Inch","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Mike is a real-life Tom Clancy American hero, and our nation is better for his service. The world is changing, and this book tells the story.” — Marc Andreessen, cofounder of Andreessen Horowitz  “Our family is forever grateful for experiencing the brave work of Secretary Pompeo, defending faith and freedom for all Americans and those in every nation, no matter their beliefs. Secretary Pompeo rose above disparagement and danger to protect us all, making history as the only person to lead the CIA and the State Department.” — Kathy Ireland, chair\/CEO of Kathy Ireland Worldwide  “An American patriot and a truly gifted leader, Mike led the Agency through one of the most important and challenging periods in American history. His unparalleled ability to build and lead teams in a highly successful fashion through complex strategic challenges was extraordinary. Mike’s actions were always focused on achieving the absolute best results for the American people.” — Tom Higgins, retired officer, Central Intelligence Agency    “Having served as a fellow Army officer with Mike in the Second Armored Cavalry, I spent many a cold, wet, and sleepless night with Mike on ‘Freedom's Frontier.’ There are two things you always knew about Mike: His dedication to duty and to the mission was paramount, and his loyalty to his soldiers and fellow officers was unquestionable. This book is an important read for all Americans.” — Jeff Boobar, former Army officer and retired DEA special agent  “Weakness invites aggression. No one appreciates this dictum better than Secretary Mike Pompeo, a patriot and a pipehitter. Never Give an Inch is Mr. Pompeo’s account of the state of America and the adversaries we face. It is a fascinating read, sensational and at times terrifying. I couldn’t put it down. If you care about America’s place in an era of seemingly endless crises, I urge you to pick up this book.” — Ayaan Hirsi Ali, research fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University  “Secretary Pompeo’s effort on behalf of religious freedom for people of all faiths from across the world increased hope for many.” — Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York  “A true tour de force that reads like a thriller, densely packed with important content. Written with real humor, the messages, while often alarming, are delivered in a uniquely positive way. Shining through on every page is the author’s deep love of country and dedication to the principles enshrined in our founding documents. This riveting memoir is the most compelling summary to be found anywhere of the challenges currently facing the United States in today’s increasingly dangerous world.” — Mary Ann Glendon, professor emerita of law at Harvard University and former US ambassador to the Holy See","brand":"HarperCollins Publishers Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47832628101463,"sku":"9780063247444","price":21.25,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780063247444.jpg?v=1710336118"},{"product_id":"turning-points-9781035015351","title":"Turning Points","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eSteve Richards is a political columnist, journalist, author and presenter. He regularly presents \u003ci\u003eThe Week in Westminster\u003c\/i\u003e on BBC Radio 4 and has presented BBC series on Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Prime Ministers \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Prime Ministers We Never Had\u003c\/i\u003e, the latter of which was named a Book of the Year' in \u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe writes for several national newspapers including the \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eIndependent \u003c\/i\u003eand the \u003ci\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/i\u003e. He also presents a popular political one-man show each year at the Edinburgh Festival and across the UK.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn engaging canter through postwar Britain . . . shaped by a lifetime of reading * Prospect *\u003cbr\u003eA wonderful book to savour. Only Richards can take you on a journey that flies so gracefully above the hurly-burly of politics and explain what’s actually going on -- Isabel Hardman, author of \u003ci\u003eWhy We Get the Wrong Politicians\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA pure pleasure to read. Richards is the ideal companion for anyone wishing to taste, feel and understand the ebbs and flows of the British experience since the end of the Second World War. The key characters live and breathe in his pages -- Peter Hennessy, historian and author of \u003ci\u003eA Duty of Care\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA masterly account. Insightful, thoughtful and above all full of empathy, \u003ci\u003eTurning Points\u003c\/i\u003e is a work of understanding as well as scholarship -- Gavin Esler, journalist and author of \u003ci\u003eHow Britain Ends\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo many turning points, so little real turning. Through wonderful vignettes, Richards offers a masterful, clear-eyed and, above all, entertaining history of British politics. To pilot a better future, we need to learn how not to repeat the mistakes of the past. The book is a lesson in just that -- Will Hutton, \u003ci\u003eObserver\u003c\/i\u003e columnist\u003cbr\u003eExcellent. Steve Richards is one of the shrewdest political commentators we have -- Andrew Marr, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Making of Modern Britain\u003c\/i\u003e, on \u003ci\u003eThe Prime Ministers We Never Had\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA better and more thought-provoking book than most of those about prime ministers -- Tim Shipman, author of \u003ci\u003eAll Out War\u003c\/i\u003e, on \u003ci\u003eThe Prime Ministers We Never Had\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA fascinating and original book that sheds new light on the forces that shape British politics -- Iain Dale, broadcaster and commentator, on \u003ci\u003eThe Prime Ministers We Never Had\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"Pan Macmillan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47836670558551,"sku":"9781035015351","price":18.7,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781035015351.jpg?v=1710380492"},{"product_id":"his-finest-hour-a-brief-life-of-winston-churchill-9781849010849","title":"His Finest Hour: A Brief Life of Winston","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A gem. Brief, authoritative and fair in its judgements - an intensely readable introduction to this most complex and fascinating man' - Graham Farmelo, award-winning author of \u003ci\u003eThe Strangest Man\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA new and dynamic reappraisal of Winston Churchill, and his finest hour in 1940-1.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWho was Winston Churchill? Even fifity years after his death he is one of the most iconic figures in British history: as a young man he was a maverick journalist, his many positions in politics before 1940 marked him out as a courageous but foolhardy man. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYet it is Churchill's record in war, which has recently been questioned, that confirms his genius as a military commander and national leader ­- someone who understood the dangers of Nazi Germany before 1939; someone uniquely capable to lead the empire through the turmoil of the Second World War. Catherwood argues that it was Churchill's stand in 1940-41 that saved Britain and only he was able to bring together the allies that eventually defeated Hitler in 1945.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCatherwood has produced a challenging yet accessible reassessment of the life and career of Winston Churchill, lion of British history and flawed hero.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChristopher Catherwood is a master at explaining complex historical issues in an admirably clear way. In this fascinating account of Churchill's career he illustrates some very important features of 20th century history, at the same time as presenting a very human portrait of that great figure. This is a very fine book indeed. -- Alexander McCall Smith\u003cbr\u003eA gem. Brief, authoritative and fair in its judgements - an intensely readable introduction to this most complex and fascinating man. * Graham Farmelo, author of The Strangest Man, winner of the Costa Biography Prize. *","brand":"Little, Brown Book Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47850686054743,"sku":"9781849010849","price":7.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781849010849.jpg?v=1710618987"},{"product_id":"how-to-think-like-churchill-9781789295962","title":"How to Think Like Churchill","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLearn how to think like one of history's most iconic cultural figures: Winston Churchill.  Follow in his footsteps and discover the essential principles behind his success. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRemembered for his leadership during the Second World War, Churchill’s commitment to 'never surrender', along with his stirring speeches and radio broadcasts, helped inspire British resistance to the Nazi threat when Britain stood alone against an occupied Europe. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut as well as a hugely successful politician, Churchill was also an officer in the British Army, a journalist, historian and a writer, winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953. \u003ci\u003eHow to Think Like Churchill\u003c\/i\u003e reveals the \u003cb\u003eessential principles\u003c\/b\u003e behind this \u003cb\u003efascinating leader\u003c\/b\u003e, exploring the \u003cb\u003edefining moments \u003c\/b\u003eand enduring speeches that have made him one of the most esteemed figures of the twentieth century.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Michael O'Mara Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851008622935,"sku":"9781789295962","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781789295962.jpg?v=1710627110"},{"product_id":"chums-how-a-tiny-caste-of-oxford-tories-took-over-the-uk-9781788167390","title":"Chums: How a Tiny Caste of Oxford Tories Took","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNow with a new chapter on the end of the chumocracy era - and Oxford's upcoming elite for 2050.  THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2022  A TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT BEST BOOK OF 2023  Power. Privilege. Parties. It's a very small world at the top.  'Brilliant ... traces Brexit back to the debating chambers of the Oxford Union in the 1980s' James O'Brien  'A searing onslaught on the smirking Oxford insinuation that politics is all just a game. It isn't. It matters' Matthew Parris  'A sparkling firework of a book' Lynn Barber, Spectator  'Exquisite and depressing in equal measure' Matthew Syed, Sunday Times  Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, David Cameron, George Osborne, Theresa May, Dominic Cummings, Daniel Hannan, Jacob Rees-Mogg: Whitehall is swarming with old Oxonians. They debated each other in tutorials, ran against each other in student elections, and attended the same balls and black tie dinners.   They aren't just colleagues - they are peers, rivals, friends. And, when they walked out of the world of student debates onto the national stage, they brought their university politics with them.  Thirteen of the seventeen postwar British prime ministers went to Oxford University. In Chums, Simon Kuper traces how the rarefied and privileged atmosphere of this narrowest of talent pools - and the friendships and worldviews it created - shaped modern Britain.   A damning look at the university clique-turned-Commons majority that will blow the doors of Westminster wide open and change the way you look at our democracy forever.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA searing onslaught on the smirking Oxford insinuation that politics is all just a game. It isn't. It matters -- Matthew Parris\u003cbr\u003eA devastating portrait of the arrogant rogues and chancers who have spent the past thirteen years playing at politics instead of governing -- Andrew Scull, 'Best Books of 2023' * TLS *\u003cbr\u003eA gripping read ... exquisite and depressing in equal measure -- Matthew Syed * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eA sparkling firework of a book -- Lynn Barber * Spectator *\u003cbr\u003eIncisive, insightful and timely -- Richard Beard * New Statesman *\u003cbr\u003eFascinating ... The picture Kuper draws is of a nation with a decadent and deeply unprofessional ruling class, a diagnosis with which it is impossible to disagree -- Hugo Rifkind * The Times *\u003cbr\u003eImmensely entertaining ... a tremendous romp jam-packed with delicious indiscretions -- Tim Luckhurst * Daily Mail *\u003cbr\u003eA brilliant book -- John Harris * Guardian Weekly Politics podcast *\u003cbr\u003eA penetrating analysis of the connections that enabled an incestuous university network to dominate Westminster and give birth to Brexit ... perceptive and full of surprises -- Tim Adams * Observer *\u003cbr\u003eJohnson, Cameron, Rees-Mogg, Gove and Cummings all feature in this look at the hidden depths of our current political establishment and its inextricable link to Eton and, in particular, Oxford University -- 50 Best Books for Summer 2022 * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eShows how the culture of Oxford decisively influenced the tone of British politics and led to Brexit. Brilliantly written, it gripped me -- Paschal Donohoe * Irish Times *\u003cbr\u003eKuper is alert to the deficiencies of the Oxford Union style, the tendency to substitute some glib debating point for hard-headed analysis ... Engagingly brief with delightful details -- Andrew Gimson * Conservative Home *\u003cbr\u003eIntellectually bracing ... a deep dive into the culture of the upper-crust public schools and university that produced ten of the UK's 15 post-war prime ministers -- Andrew Lynch * Business Post *\u003cbr\u003eElegant, witty, economical ... it is absurd how much influence this tiny, moneyed circle has been able to wield, and deeply depressing -- Zoe Williams * TLS *\u003cbr\u003eChums is not just about the smallness of Britain's privileged elite or the early advantages it enjoys. Simon Kuper goes further ... to critique a system that attaches more importance to winning debates than shaping policy -- Mike Phipps * Labour Hub *\u003cbr\u003eThe best ever written dissection of the formation for what passes as the modern Tory Party's leadership * Philosophy Football *\u003cbr\u003eA snapshot of a time gone by, bringing alive 1980s Oxford in vivid detail ... a thrilling read -- Daniel Dipper * Higher Education Policy Institute *\u003cbr\u003eEngaging and detailed ... [This] may be the last generation of such Oxford Tories, yet their policies may well influence the United Kingdom for generations -- Andrew Moravcsik * Foreign Affairs *\u003cbr\u003e[A] highly entertaining, and often infuriating examination of the clique of Oxford Tories that gave us Brexit * Irish Times *\u003cbr\u003ePraise for The Happy Traitor:  Kuper provides a different and valuable perspective, humane and informative -- John Le Carré\u003cbr\u003eTruly enthralling ... a deeply human read, wonderfully written, on the foibles of a fascinating, flawed, treacherous and sort of likeable character -- Philippe Sands\u003cbr\u003eThe most comprehensive and insightful biography to date -- Ben Macintyre\u003cbr\u003eReaders who prefer their politics polemical (and Britain in Europe) need look no further than Simon Kuper * Times Best Political and Current Affairs Books of 2022 *","brand":"Profile Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851059806551,"sku":"9781788167390","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781788167390.jpg?v=1710628246"},{"product_id":"conversations-with-jfk-a-fictional-dialogue-based-on-biographical-facts-9781786782281","title":"Conversations with JFK: A Fictional Dialogue","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eImagined by one of the world's foremost JFK scholars, this fictionalised conversation presents the essential biography of America's most glamorous and mythologised president. For many, the presidency of John F. Kennedy was a magic interlude in American history. His admirers saw him as a leader of intelligence and imagination, who wielded power with grace, courage and verve - although detractors have questioned the depth of his convictions and drawn attention to his serial philandering.   Kennedy's rise also marked the beginning of modern \"celebrity\" politics - a politician with film star charisma who proved ideally suited to the new age of television. Meet the man himself and he'll tell you how it felt to have his finger on the red button when the world teetered on the brink of nuclear war.   The book is divided into two parts: a biographical essay that provides a concise overview of JFK's life, achievements, scandals and controversies; and a Q\u0026amp;A dialogue based on rigorous research and incorporating JFK's actual spoken or written words whenever possible, along with rigorously researched biographical interpretations of his various views and positions.   Here you will find all the key moments in JFK's life and career: his early days at Harvard and the US Navy; his family background and the importance of his Catholic faith; running for office against Richard Nixon; his clashes with communist power in Berlin and Cuba; the Civil Rights movement; Vietnam; and the president's often scandalous personal life that was carefully concealed from an adoring public. Kennedy's assassination on 22 November 1963 marked the beginning of a tumultuous and bitterly divided decade, and birthed countless conspiracy theories that thrive to this day. 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Improbably coiffed, perma-tanned and bronze-tongued, the Donald has increasingly impinged on the world''s consciousness through a string of startling pronouncements.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom his preference for war heroes who have \u003ci\u003enot\u003c\/i\u003e been captured, to his references to his sleeping around in the 1980s as his ''personal Vietnam'' or this - ''My grandparents didn''t come to America all the way from Germany to see it get taken over by immigrants'' - Trump''s utterances are nothing if not intriguing. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs he once said, and to date this has been hard to dispute, he ''could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and [he] wouldn''t lose any voters.''\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHere, in his own words, is the businessmen, the dealmaker, TV personality, author and one-time Democrat, now Republican who would be president of the United States.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Little, Brown Book Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851721785687,"sku":"9781472139153","price":6.64,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781472139153.jpg?v=1710642511"},{"product_id":"command-9781472284631","title":"Command","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eAl Murray''s passion for military history and the Second World War in particular has always run parallel with his comedy and was brought to the fore with several acclaimed and award-winning television shows and the recent huge success of his podcast \u003ci\u003eWe Have Ways of Making You Talk\u003c\/i\u003e which he hosts with fellow bestselling military author James Holland. In his first serious narrative book, \u003ci\u003eCommand\u003c\/i\u003e showcases Al Murray''s passion for this pivotal period in the twentieth century, as he writes an engaging, entertaining and sharp analysis of the key allied military leaders in the conflict.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eCommand \u003c\/i\u003ehighlights the performance and careers of some of the leading protagonists who commanded armies, as well as the lesser-known officers who led divisions, regiments and even battalions for the British, Commonwealth and United States of American armies. 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Like him or loathe him, Oliver Cromwell is a giant of English history.   With a deft hand and strong narrative, Whitehead guides us through the remarkable life and career of Oliver Cromwell from a unique perspective. He explores not only the effect the women in Cromwell's life had on him, but how his career in turn dramatically altered their lives. His wife Elizabeth become  Her Highness the Lady Protectress' and his four daughters were treated as princesses before their lives turned upside down at the Restoration. We learn of Cromwell's close relationship with his mother, who lived with him throughout her long life, and of his deep attachment to Elizabeth, who he married at 22 and without whom it is doubtful he would have achieved all he did.","brand":"Pen \u0026 Sword Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851980357975,"sku":"9781526751546","price":14.24,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781526751546.jpg?v=1710650046"},{"product_id":"the-showman-9780008599171","title":"The Showman","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERA Telegraph Best Book of the Year''An intense, evocative portrait of one of the most remarkable figures of our era'' ANNE APPLEBAUM''This is the Zelensky book we've been waiting for' CATHERINE BELTONTHE TIMES: A BEST BOOK OF 2024  NEXT YEAR'S TOP READSGUARDIAN: BOOKS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2024INDEPENDENT: A BOOK OF THE MONTHWritten with unprecedented access, this is the first inside, intimate account of the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the perspective of President Zelensky and his team.Based on four years of reporting; extensive travels with President Zelensky to the front; and dozens of interviews with him, his wife, his friends and enemies, his advisers, ministers and military commanders, The Showman tells an intimate and eye-opening story of the President's evolution from a slapstick actor to a symbol of resilience, revealing how he managed to rally the world's democracies behind his cause.Clear-eyed about the President's early failures as a peacemaker and his willingness to silence political dissent, the book offers a complex picture of a man struggling to break what he sees as a historical cycle of oppression that began generations before he was born. Even as the war drags on, Zelensky lays out his vision for its future course and, through his actions, demonstrates his strategy for countering the Russians and keeping the West on his side. The result is a riveting, up-close picture of the invasion as experienced by its number one target and improbable hero.The Showman, as a work of eyewitness journalism, provides an essential perspective on the war defining our age. As a study in leadership and human resolve, its appeal is timeless and universal.''Intimate but unflinchingly objective, this biography gives you a seat at Zelensky''s war cabinet and penetrates his mind as he battles to save Ukraine''s freedomand ours'' Peter Pomerantsev, author of Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Superb… in coming years, there may be [many] biographies of Zelensky… few, though, will better Shuster’s credentials. 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In between there are two wars: first Afghanistan, and then, even more controversially, Iraq. It was the most difficult decision of Tony Blair''s premiership, and almost certainly the most unpopular. Campbell describes in detail the discussions with President Bush and other world leaders as the steps to war are taken, and delivers a unique account of Blair as war leader. He records the enormous political difficulties at home, and the sense of crisis that engulfed the government after the suicide of weapons inspector David Kelly. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd all the while, Blair continues to struggle with two issues that ran throughout his time in government - fighting for peace in Northern Ireland, and\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cornerstone","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732260598103,"sku":"9780099514732","price":15.29,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099514732.jpg?v=1719996173"},{"product_id":"empress-dowager-cixi-9780099532392","title":"Empress Dowager Cixi","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJung Chang is the best-selling author of \u003ci\u003eWild Swans\u003c\/i\u003e (1991, which the \u003ci\u003eAsian Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e called the most read book about China), \u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eMao: The Unknown Story\u003c\/i\u003e (2005, with Jon Halliday), which was described by \u003ci\u003eTime \u003c\/i\u003eMagazine as an atom bomb of a book'. Her books have been translated into more than 40 languages and sold more than 15 million copies outside mainland China where they are both banned.. She was born in China in 1952, and came to Britain in 1978. She lives in London.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJung Chang tells a story and what a colourful tale it is…This is history at its most readable. -- George Walden * Evening Standard *\u003cbr\u003eA truly authoritative account of Cixi’s rule. Her story is both important and evocative. -- Orville Schell * New York Times *\u003cbr\u003eFilled with new revelations, it's a gripping and surprising story of an extraordinary woman in power. Using Chinese sources, totally untapped by western books, this reappraises one of the great monstresses of modern history... Jung Chang's revisionism means that this book reveals a new and different woman: ambitious, sometimes murderous, but pragmatic and unique. All of this adds up to make \u003ci\u003eEmpress Dowager Cixi \u003c\/i\u003ea powerful read. -- Simon Sebag Montefiore * BBC History Magazine *\u003cbr\u003eIf there is one woman who mattered in the history of modern China, it is the empress dowager Cixi…[Her] conventional image is queried in this detailed and beautifully narrated biography, which at long last restores the empress dowager to her rightful place. Chang’s book relies heavily on the vast holdings in the imperial archives in Beijing... She has a wonderful eye for the telling detail and excels at unravelling palace intrigues and corridor politics. -- Frank Dikotter * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eChang has a proven Midas touch.\u003ci\u003e.. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eEmpress Dowager\u003c\/i\u003e, by returning to female experience in the style of \u003ci\u003eWild Swans\u003c\/i\u003e yet focusing, like \u003ci\u003eMao\u003c\/i\u003e, on a controversial ruler, should appeal to fans of both. -- Jeffrey Wasserstrom * Financial Times *\u003cbr\u003eA captivating cradle-to-grave biography * VOGUE *\u003cbr\u003eIn this vivid biography, as colourful and intricate as the embroidery on a Chinese robe, [Jung Chang] uses new evidence and meticulous research to cast a spotlight on the amazing woman she regards as the mother of modern China…This is a rich, dramatic story of rebellions, battles, plotting, rivalry, foreign invasion, punishment and forbidden love. -- Bel Mooney * Daily Mail *\u003cbr\u003eAn absorbing read. -- Josh Neicho * Independent on Sunday *\u003cbr\u003eThis is an important book, drawing attention to a period in China's history that has received little, and usually only negative, attention. Chang writes with verve, energy and evident concern for the country in which her books are proscribed and her family was made to suffer during the Cultural Revolution. * BBC History Magazine *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732273738071,"sku":"9780099532392","price":12.34,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099532392.jpg?v=1719996227"},{"product_id":"the-new-machiavelli-9780099546092","title":"The New Machiavelli","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter studying history at Oxford and the University of Pennsylvania, Jonathan Powell worked for the BBC and Granada TV before joining the Foreign Office in 1979. In 1994 Mr Blair, then Leader of the Opposition, poached him to join his`kitchen cabinet' as his Chief of Staff. When Labour achieved its landslide victory in 1997 Powell was at the heart of the Downing Street machine. He was the only senior member of staff to remain at Blair's side throughout his time at the top of British politics. He has always maintained a low profile and has never before told his story.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIntriguing and engaging book... sets up fascinating parallels that prove there is really nothing new in politics * Financial Times *\u003cbr\u003eA gloriously indiscreet political memoir... From a unique vantage point he gives brilliantly observed and witty accounts of the vanity of modern European princes... The merit of Powell's memoir is precisely that it lacks the intrusive ego of the big politician -- Dominic Lawson * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eIt's a quirky, thoughtful take on the impact of \u003ci\u003eThe Prince \u003c\/i\u003eon modern politics -- Anne McElvoy * New Statesman, Books of the Year *\u003cbr\u003eAnyone who wants an insider's account of what makes politicians tick should read this book -- Peter Mandelson * Guardian, Books of the Year *\u003cbr\u003eIt tells us a great deal about the era that has just passed -- Chris Mullin * Daily Telegraph, Books of the Year *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732285927767,"sku":"9780099546092","price":11.69,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099546092.jpg?v=1719996269"},{"product_id":"the-myth-of-the-strong-leader-9780099554851","title":"The Myth of the Strong Leader","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e* UPDATED WITH A NEW FOREWORD BY THE AUTHOR *\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCHOSEN BY BILL GATES AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR 2016\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eArchie Brown challenges the widespread belief that ''strong leaders'', dominant individual wielders of power, are the most successful and admirable. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWithin authoritarian regimes, a collective leadership is a lesser evil compared with a personal dictatorship. Within democracies, although strong leaders' are seldom as strong or independent as they purport to be, the idea that just one person is entitled to take the big decisions is harmful and should be resisted.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExamining Franklin D. Roosevelt and Mikhail Gorbachev, Deng Xiaoping and Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair amongst many others, this landmark study pinpoints different types and qualities of leadership. Overturning the popular notion of the strong leader, it makes us rethink preconceptions about what it means to lead.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"An important and unusual read... Brown does a wonderful job of showing how the same qualities that can seem so appealing in strong leaders can lead, in the mildest cases, to bad decisions - and, in the most extreme cases, to death and suffering on a massive scale... Though The Myth of the Strong Leader is about political leadership, you come away from Brown's book with a deeper understanding of leadership in general\" -- Bill Gates \"A profound, and wise, book - one of the most important works on politics for a long time. On the basis of penetrating, wide-ranging analysis, traversing democratic and authoritarian systems, Archie Brown clearly demonstrates the commonly held belief in strong leadership as the answer to political problems to be completely, often disastrously, misplaced.\" -- Sir Ian Kershaw \"A brilliant exploration of political leaders in democratic, authoritarian and totalitarian regimes... Brown's excellent book stresses the importance of the context for the appearance of effective leaders and, when dealing with democratic regimes, the importance of the institutions\" Political Quarterly \"The best analysis of the nature of true leadership I have read.\" -- Gary Hart, Former United States Senator \"This book badly needed to be written, and only Archie Brown - with his unique breadth of scholarly knowledge combined with a finger-tip feel for real-world politics - could possibly have written it. It turns out that there are fewer strong leaders in the world than is often supposed and that many of them, far from being desirable, are positively dangerous. Perhaps the best political systems are those that are effectively \"leader-proofed\".\" -- Anthony King, Professor of Government at the University of Essex and co-author of The Blunders of Our Governments","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732293857623,"sku":"9780099554851","price":11.69,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099554851.jpg?v=1719996299"},{"product_id":"the-iron-lady-9780099575160","title":"The Iron Lady","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJohn Campbell is recognised as one of Britain's leading political biographers. In addition to \u003ci\u003eEdward Heath\u003c\/i\u003e, which won the NCR Award in 1994, his subjects have included Lloyd George (1977), F.E. Smith, Lord Birkenhead (1983), Roy Jenkins (1983) and Aneurin Bevan (1986). His most recent books are \u003ci\u003eIf Love Were All: The Story of Frances\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eStevenson and David Lloyd George, \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003ePistols at Dawn,\u003c\/i\u003e published by Jonathan Cape in June 2009. He is currently writing the authorised biography of Roy Jenkins.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnyone who really wants to know what happened between 1979 and 1990 should read this book -- John Rentoul * Daily Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eThe best book yet written about Lady Thatcher -- Frank Johnson * Daily Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eSuperbly researched...unlike so many others is neither hagiography nor hatchet-job, and probably gets closer to the truth than any...magnificently told * Sunday Express *\u003cbr\u003eAn enormously useful achievement...every twist and turn of her political life is here * The Times, Books of the Year *\u003cbr\u003e[A] thorough biography... brought together in a useful abridged paperback version... Campbell is a leading political biographer... Campbell's vivid account is easy to read * Financial Times *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732307226967,"sku":"9780099575160","price":15.29,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099575160.jpg?v=1719996349"},{"product_id":"the-lion-house-9780099578697","title":"The Lion House","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChristopher de Bellaigue\u003c\/b\u003e is the award-winning author of \u003ci\u003eThe Lion House: The Rise of Suleyman the Magnificent\u003c\/i\u003e, which was chosen as a book of the year by \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSpectator \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e New Yorker \u003c\/i\u003eamong others, as well as five previous books, including\u003ci\u003e The Islamic Enlightenment\u003c\/i\u003e, which was shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-fiction and the Orwell Prize for Political Writing in 2017. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs a reporter he has covered war, politics, society and the environment in five continents for the \u003ci\u003eEconomist\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eNew York Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e and the BBC. He is the founder of the Lake District Book Festival in Cartmel, Cumbria, an Honorary Fellow of the University of St Andrews and in 2026 he will take up a Visiting Fellowship at All Souls College, Oxford. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ewww.christopherdebellaigue.com\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThere are books that enlarge the mind, there are books that enrich the soul, but rarely comes a book so beautifully-written and profound that it manages to do both\u003c\/b\u003e -- ELIF SHAFAK, author of The Island of Missing Trees\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe most daring history book of the year ... told in the present tense with all the dash and flair of a novel. \u003c\/b\u003eThe research is faultless: we are immersed ... it brilliantly conveys a sense of colour and momentum, placing the reader in the thick of the action. \u003cb\u003eUnforgettable\u003c\/b\u003e -- Dominic Sandbrook * The Times \u0026amp; Sunday Times Best Books of 2022 *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis is history, but not as we know it\u003c\/b\u003e. It is non-fiction posing as a novel, rich in incident and cinematic detail ... \u003cb\u003eit's tremendous\u003c\/b\u003e -- Justin Marozzi * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn urgent, immersive, present-tense gallop ... \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003ethe book reads as a non-fiction novel\u003c\/b\u003e ... cinematically vivid tableaux ... Each spangled scene ... rests on a solid foundation in the primary sources ... De Bellaigue enriches his storytelling with the colourful, meticulous dispatches of its traders, envoys and spies ... \u003cb\u003ebehind the bejewelled descriptive prose a thumping pulse of action tugs us through\u003c\/b\u003e ... de Bellaigue's glittering, deft and often witty prose adds pleasure to each page * Financial Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLuminous, erudite ... a gripping account that evokes an epic poem, saga or 'book of kings' ... It is as immersive as the blurb claims\u003c\/b\u003e, conjuring the world of the eastern Mediterranean, Anatolia and south-eastern Europe in the early 16th century with the limpid clarity of the many gems that stud its pages ... \u003cb\u003eEven more than the detail, it is the characters that intrigue and often inspire ... The book leaves the reader with Suleiman truly magnificent\u003c\/b\u003e * Spectator *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMesmerising . . . \u003c\/b\u003esteeped in the \u003cb\u003esensuous detail of banquet and ceremony, stratagem and conspiracy\u003c\/b\u003e -- Colin Thubron\u003cbr\u003eA\u003cb\u003e brilliantly written \u003c\/b\u003eaccount of the Ottoman empire in all its opulence and brutality. \u003cb\u003eRich in colourful historical anecdotes\u003c\/b\u003e, de Bellaigue brings 16th-century statecraft \u003cb\u003evividly alive\u003c\/b\u003e, and offers a \u003cb\u003echilling insight\u003c\/b\u003e into the ruthlessness and loneliness of one of the most powerful men of the age * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA vivid, cinematic account of the rise of Suleyman the Magnificent ... \u003c\/b\u003ede Bellaigue follows with \u003cb\u003eexhilarating clarity and suspense\u003c\/b\u003e the era's broader battles across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, and the individual trajectories - grand ambitions, rivalries, betrayals - of these outsiders in Suleyman's court,\u003cb\u003e a place rife with intrigue and back-stabbing, rich with colourful characters\u003c\/b\u003e -- Claire Messud * Harper's *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThose lucky readers who come to Christopher de Bellaigue's book in proximity to reading Mantel can suddenly have a new panel thrown open to them like an unfolding altarpiece\u003c\/b\u003e ... all written in the present tense. This creates the obvious sense of liveliness and urgency ... Bellaigue sets about the task with such confidence and skill that it works ...\u003cb\u003e a dazzling and dark work. Witty and often wise, it speaks to the frailties and the precarity of power\u003c\/b\u003e -- David Aaronovitch * The Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eVivid and compelling\u003c\/b\u003e ... He presents his story like a novel, but it is not fiction; every detail has been \u003cb\u003ediligently researched\u003c\/b\u003e, for example by perusing diaries in difficult Venetian dialect ... Whether he is describing a lavish dinner for Italian merchants on the Bosporus, the stately progress of Suleiman's armies through the Balkans or a mass circumcision, he has an eye for the \u003cb\u003ecolourful\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eabsurd\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eironic\u003c\/b\u003e ... As this book shows, living in the penumbra of such supreme power can be \u003cb\u003eseductive\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eintoxicating\u003c\/b\u003e. But the end of the story is often tragic * Economist *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWolf Hall \u003c\/i\u003efor the Ottoman Empire ... History at its most gripping\u003c\/b\u003e * Daily Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eThis account \u003cb\u003ereally grips\u003c\/b\u003e... it does so by bringing out the \u003cb\u003efascinating individuals\u003c\/b\u003e, the \u003cb\u003eadventure\u003c\/b\u003e, the \u003cb\u003elurid details\u003c\/b\u003e, the \u003cb\u003ebarbarities\u003c\/b\u003e, the \u003cb\u003eopulence\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003esqualor\u003c\/b\u003e and near misses of the story -- Melanie McDonagh * Evening Standard *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePoised effortlessly between two worlds and two ages, a book as pungent and mysterious as the age it depicts\u003c\/b\u003e -- RORY STEWART, former British Cabinet Minister and author of The Places In Between\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA complex piece of history told with extraordinary clarity\u003c\/b\u003e * Spectator, *Best Books of 2022* *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eChristopher de Bellaigue has a magic talent for writing history \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eIt is as if we are there as the era of Suleyman the Magnificent unfolds\u003c\/b\u003e -- ORHAN PAMUK, Nobel Laureate in Literature\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eEssential reading for anyone wishing to understand political ambition and the role of narcissistic leaders and scheming courtiers in any age\u003c\/b\u003e -- ROBERT PESTON, Political Editor ITV News\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eGripping, novelistic \u003c\/b\u003e... brisk and muscular ... written in a sure-footed historical present, the book creates a simulacrum of the 16th century through the painstaking accumulation of attested details ... [giving] the book its vividness and energy ... \u003cb\u003e[De Bellaigue] writes with supreme confidence about power, diplomacy, clothing, avarice, war, statecraft and the exceptional brutality of the era\u003c\/b\u003e ... While \u003ci\u003eThe Lion House\u003c\/i\u003e unfolds like a novel, through scenes rich with authenticating detail -- Marcel Theroux * The New York Times Book Review *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDe Bellaigue is a riveting and expert guide to the story of Suleyman's quest for power\u003c\/b\u003e -- PETER FRANKOPAN, author of The Silk Roads\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNarrated with a verve and flair that make the characters burst from the pages. Outstanding history and an incredibly good read\u003c\/b\u003e -- EUGENE ROGAN, author of The Fall of the Ottomans\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eExquisite ... So arresting is this book, so enveloping in the tensions of its narrative, that most readers will feel a pang of sorrow that the tale does not run on. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Lion House \u003c\/i\u003eleaves us with a tease, or taunt: \"Who, apart from God, can say what will come next?\" A sequel, surely. Although it was the peak of the Ottoman Empire, Suleyman's reign also offers clear glimpses of a great decline to come. Who better to tell us about it than Mr de Bellaigue? * Wall Street Journal *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNon-fiction with the readability of a thriller. Unputdownable\u003c\/b\u003e -- VICTORIA HISLOP, author of The Island\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSensuous and scholarly, meticulously researched and deliciously irreverent, \u003ci\u003eThe Lion House\u003c\/i\u003e is an intoxicating journey through the Ottomans' golden age\u003c\/b\u003e -- AMBERIN ZAMAN, correspondent, Al-Monitor, Turkey correspondent for the Economist (1999-2016) and Fellow of the Woodrow Wilson Center, Washington, DC\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReads like the most gripping fiction ... could very well \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003ebe Netflix's next epic\u003c\/b\u003e * Radio Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Lion House\u003c\/i\u003e presents a historical universe that captivates and astonishes and is near-impossible to put down. A superb example of historical literature and research\u003c\/b\u003e -- RICHARD WHATMORE, Professor of Modern History at the University of St Andrews\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFull of breath-taking events at the cross-roads of empires at a moment in history when notions such as Europe, Asia, Christianity and Islam were infinitely more fluid and permeable than they are today\u003c\/b\u003e -- KEREM OKTEM, Professor of International Relations at Ca' Foscari University, Venice\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eOriginal\u003c\/b\u003e... de Bellaigue... offers a \u003cb\u003evivid presentation\u003c\/b\u003e of events, re-imagined as scenes and episodes... a \u003cb\u003edifferent, literary kind\u003c\/b\u003e [of history] -- Noel Malcolm * Times Literary Supplement *\u003cbr\u003eDe Bellaigue \u003cb\u003ewrites with impecable scholarship\u003c\/b\u003e, piecing together contemporary accounts to create \u003cb\u003ea thrilling narrative\u003c\/b\u003e * Church Times *\u003cbr\u003eDe Bellaigue is \u003cb\u003ean expert stylist, sensitive to rhythm and vocabulary\u003c\/b\u003e, and passionate in his pursuit of the fugitive detail that gives meaning to a whole episode * Literary Review *\u003cbr\u003eAn \u003cb\u003eexhilarating read\u003c\/b\u003e -- Rose Shepherd * Saga Magazine *\u003cbr\u003eAn \u003cb\u003eengrossing \u003c\/b\u003ebook... This is \u003cb\u003ehistory turned into drama and poetry, awesomely spectacular yet also intensely intimate\u003c\/b\u003e -- Yasmin Alibhai-Brown * iNews *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732309258583,"sku":"9780099578697","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099578697.jpg?v=1719996358"},{"product_id":"maoism-9780099581857","title":"Maoism","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eJulia Lovell is Professor of Modern China at Birkbeck College, University of London.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHer two most recent books are \u003ci\u003eThe Great Wall\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Opium War\u003c\/i\u003e (which won the 2012 Jan Michalski Prize). Her many translations of modern Chinese fiction into English include Lu Xun's \u003ci\u003eThe Real Story of Ah Q, and other Tales of China \u003c\/i\u003e(2009). She is currently completing a new translation of \u003ci\u003eJourney to the West\u003c\/i\u003e by Wu Cheng'en.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe writes about China for several newspapers, including the \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRevelatory and instructive… [a] beautifully written and accessible book\u003c\/b\u003e -- David Aaronovitch * The Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThere is not a dull sentence in this scintillating and wry account\u003c\/b\u003e of the global impact of Maoism -- Michael Burleigh * Evening Standard, *Book of the Week* *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWonderful\u003c\/b\u003e -- Andrew Marr * New Statesman *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn exciting, alternative history of the 20th century\u003c\/b\u003e that deviates from the well-rehearsed narrative that relays between Washington and Moscow -- Tanjil Rashid * Financial Times *\u003cbr\u003eA \u003cb\u003elandmark work\u003c\/b\u003e giving a global panorama of Mao's ideology filled with historic events and enlivened by striking characters -- Jonathan Fenby, author of The Penguin History of Modern China\u003cbr\u003eJulia Lovell has given us \u003cb\u003ea masterful corrective to the greatest misconception about today’s China\u003c\/b\u003e. For too long, visitors who marveled at China’s new luxuries and capitalist zeal assumed that Maoism had gone the way of its creator. That was a mistake. Lovell’s account - \u003cb\u003eeloquent, engrossing, intelligent\u003c\/b\u003e - not only explains why Xi Jinping has revived some of Mao’s techniques, but also why Mao's playbook for the “People’s War” retains an intoxicating and tragic appeal to marginalized people the world over -- Evan Osnos, author of The Age of Ambition\u003cbr\u003eLovell takes us on \u003cb\u003ean exhilarating journey\u003c\/b\u003e, tracing the spread of Maoist theories across South-east Asia and then Africa, ending up in today’s China… The historical sweep of this book is impressive -- Christopher Coker * Literary Review *\u003cbr\u003eLovell has produced a work which may well be \u003cb\u003ethe most harrowing, fascinating and occasionally hilarious book on the subject\u003c\/b\u003e thus far -- Stuart Kelly * Scotland on Sunday *\u003cbr\u003eLovell is an accomplished storyteller with a nuanced and sophisticated understanding of China’s relationship with itself and the world -- Isabel Hilton * Prospect *\u003cbr\u003eLovell has a gift for compressing long and convoluted histories via just the right stories, characters, moments, and statistics… In vivid, often grim detail, Lovell shows us how and why Maoism has proven better, both inside and outside China, at attacking state infrastructure than building it up * Daily Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eLovell breaks new ground and does so in a wonderfully well-written account packed with horrors, extraordinary characters and occasionally macabre humour -- Chris Patten * Tablet *\u003cbr\u003eLovells’s descriptions of…global strands of Maoism are well-researched and colourful * Economist *\u003cbr\u003eHighly readable and well-researched book… timely -- David Priestland * New Statesman *\u003cbr\u003eA fascinating account of the influence of Maoism, during the cold war and beyond -- Gideon Rachman * Financial Times, *Books of the Year* *\u003cbr\u003e[A] superb and chilling study -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times, *Books of the Year* *\u003cbr\u003eA fascinating and timely work on one of the most influential and disruptive strands of Marxist thought: that of Mao Zedong… the book reveals the relevance of Mao to our current populist age * London Review of Economics, *Books of the Year* *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732311847255,"sku":"9780099581857","price":13.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099581857.jpg?v=1719996366"},{"product_id":"the-black-prince-of-florence-9780099586944","title":"The Black Prince of Florence","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA spectacular, elegant, brilliant portrait of skulduggery, murder and sex in Renaissance Florence' Simon Sebag Montefiore,\u003ci\u003e Evening Standard\u003c\/i\u003e, Books of the Year \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1531  after years of brutal war and political intrigue, the bastard son of a Medici Duke and a half-negro' maidservant rides into Florence. 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His story, told by an exact and fluent historian, challenges our preconceptions. \u003cb\u003eCatherine Fletcher’s eye for the skewering detail makes the citizens of renaissance Florence live again\u003c\/b\u003e: courtesans and cardinals, artists and assassins -- Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAstonishing\u003c\/b\u003e … gripping and original … a compelling portrait -- Matthew Lyons * Financial Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePacked with intrigue\u003c\/b\u003e … Fletcher describes with cool menace the plotting and politicking that dominated Alessandro’s rule … \u003cb\u003ebrought splendidly to life in this excellent book\u003c\/b\u003e -- Dan Jones * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eA \u003cb\u003escintillating\u003c\/b\u003e book that glisters and gleams with stabbings, poisonings, adultery and intrigue – and a startling reminder of how visceral and dangerous Renaissance Florence was. 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The story of Alessandro de' Medici's brief and bloody ascendancy reveals the darker side of this most dazzling and cultured of cities, beset by intrigue, violence and betrayal.  \u003cb\u003eA stunning book.\u003c\/b\u003e -- Tracy Borman, author of Thomas Cromwell: The untold story of Henry VIII's most faithful servant\u003cbr\u003eBold, breathless and \u003cb\u003efull of suspense\u003c\/b\u003e -- Daisy Dunn * The Times *\u003cbr\u003eA seductive, shimmering and significant retelling of a man whose rise to power was ... as unlikely as it was extraordinary -- Thomas Penn * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eEngrossing\u003c\/b\u003e … bursts with stabbings, poisonings, duels, eye-gougings, arquebus shootouts and people being run through with swords. Fletcher’s approach is \u003cb\u003escholarly yet dramatic\u003c\/b\u003e, immersed in Renaissance glamour … a \u003cb\u003etremendous\u003c\/b\u003e step forward in our knowledge of this intriguing man -- Alex von Tunzelmann * Spectator *\u003cbr\u003eMore than just a forensic reconstruction of the period … \u003cb\u003eLike a detective, Fletcher interrogates her witnesses\u003c\/b\u003e … But it is among the detailed records of Alessandro’s wardrobe-keepers that she finds her treasure … These lend her narrative a \u003cb\u003esensuous vividity\u003c\/b\u003e -- Frances Wilson * Sunday Telegraph *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732316205399,"sku":"9780099586944","price":11.69,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099586944.jpg?v=1719996384"},{"product_id":"hitler-volume-ii-9780099590248","title":"Hitler Volume II","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e''Meticulous... Probably the most disturbing portrait of Hitler I have ever read'' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eDominic Sandbrook, \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBy the summer of 1939 Hitler was at the zenith of his power. Yet despite initial triumphs in the early stages of war, the Führer''s fortunes would turn dramatically as the conflict raged on. Realising that victory was lost, and with Soviet troops closing in on his Berlin bunker, Hitler committed suicide in April 1945; one week later, Nazi Germany surrendered. His murderous ambitions had not only annihilated his own country, but had cost the lives of millions across Europe. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the final volume of this landmark biography, Volker Ullrich argues that the very qualities - and the defects - that accounted for Hitler''s popularity and rise to power were what brought about his ruin. A keen strategist and meticulous military commander, he was also a deeply insecure gambler who could be shaken by the smallest setback, and was quick to blame sub\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSmoothly written and splendidly translated, Ullrich’s book gives us a Hitler we have not seen before, at once cold-blooded and idealistic, chillingly narcissistic and cloyingly sentimental. And precisely because he seems so much like the rest of us, it is probably the most disturbing portrait of Hitler I have ever read -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eUllrich is a fine writer -- David Aaronovitch * The Times *\u003cbr\u003eThe reader who plunges in is rewarded with insight, understanding, fine judgements and read-me narrative drive... [This] biography of Hitler makes essential reading, especially one as deeply researched, beautifully written and finely judged as this one -- Tony Rennell * Daily Mail, *Book of the Week* *\u003cbr\u003eUllrich’s work is much more than just a biography. It is a work of synthesis, certainly, but a thorough and thoroughly readable one nonetheless, which stands muster alongside Hitler’s most significant earlier biographers: Bullock, Toland, Fest and Kershaw. Elegantly written, engaging and insightful, it is a new standard work on its subject -- Roger Moorhouse * BBC History *\u003cbr\u003eA fine and meticulous historian with a true command of archives and secondary sources… Ullrich has his own angle, and that is to recover the personality of the man… this is one of the most impressive Hitler biographies…you will find it compelling -- Anthony Cummins * Daily Telegraph *\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732319777111,"sku":"9780099590248","price":18.7,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099590248.jpg?v=1719996398"},{"product_id":"li-z-private-life-of-chairman-mao-9780099648819","title":"Li Z Private Life Of Chairman Mao","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor the first time, here is the extraordinary true story of one of the most powerful men, and ruthless dictators, who ever lived. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMao Zedong had control over more people for a longer period than any other leader in history. In this intimate biography we learn not only about the imperial grandeur of his life in a country racked by poverty and the vicious infighting at his court, but also about his extraordinary personal habits that equal those of deceased Korean supreme leader, Kim Jong Il, another infamous and idiosyncratic dictator, equally deified and worshipped by his followers: Mao''s teeth turned black because he would only brush them with tea; he hardly ever bathed but then received Krushchev in his swimming pool where he obliged the Soviet President to join him. Li''s revealing account also chronicles Mao''s voracious sexual appetite that led to the seduction of thousands of peasant women because he believed in the mythical healing power of sex. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eZhisui Li spent more time with Mao than perhaps any other person. He witnessed first-hand the catastrophic events that Mao''s dotage and paranoia sparked in a country that revered him as a demi-god. \u003ci\u003eThe Private Life of Chairman Mao\u003c\/i\u003e is a landmark biography, as fascinating as it is important to the understanding of modern China, and a must buy for fans of \u003ci\u003eWild Swans\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLi is Mao's Boswell * Irish Times *\u003cbr\u003eA unique political and historical autobiography of inestimable worth, an astounding chronicle of human weakness, political intrigue and corruption and the near destruction of a great nation by a great ego -- Martin Booth\u003cbr\u003eOne of the most vivid descriptions of a dictator ever written * The Times *\u003cbr\u003eA classic . . . 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For much of that time he was shut off from all news and contact with anyone other than his jailers and, later, his fellow hostages, amongst them John McCarthy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIncredibly moving. -- Gina McKee * Daily Express *\u003cbr\u003eAn early nineties classic... It reminds you of the privilege of freedom -- Joseph Fiennes * Daily Express *\u003cbr\u003eThere may have been more important books than Brian Keenan's \u003ci\u003eAn Evil Cradling, \u003c\/i\u003ebut its thoughtfulness and delicacy of feeling are unforgettable. Four years of savage captivity in Lebanon have been transmuted into understanding, not bitterness: a remarkable achievement * Daily Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eFrom the horror has come something wonderful. \u003ci\u003eAn Evil Cradling \u003c\/i\u003eis a great book... it has been created from harsh reality, and it has been created by a true writer... With the publication of \u003ci\u003eAn Evil Cradling\u003c\/i\u003e, Brian Keenan is not letting the world forget. This is a mighty achievement by a magnificent writer -- Frank McGuinness * Irish Times *\u003cbr\u003eScriptural in its resonances and its broad artistry, while being as gripping as an airport thriller * Observer *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732334850391,"sku":"9780099990307","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099990307.jpg?v=1719996457"},{"product_id":"the-prime-minister-9780140283938","title":"The Prime Minister","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Prime Minister: the Office and its Holders since 1945\u003c\/i\u003e, Peter Hennessy explores the formal powers of the Prime Minister and how each incumbent has made the job his or her own. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  Drawing on unparalleled access to many of the leading figures, as well as the key civil servants and journalists of each period, he has built up a picture of the hidden nexus of influence and patronage surrounding the office.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  From recently declassified archival material he reconstructs, often for the first time, precise prime ministerial attitudes towards the key issues of peace and war. 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Acclaimed by writers as diverse as Mark Twain and Gertrude Stein, Grant''s memoirs demonstrate the intelligence, intense determination, and laconic modesty that made him the Union''s foremost commander. PERSONAL MEMOIRS is devoted almost entirely to his life as a soldier. For their directness and clarity, his writings on war are without rival in American Literature.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The best [memoirs] of any general's since Caesar.\" \u003cb\u003e —Mark Twain\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"A unique expression of the national character . . . [Grant] has conveyed the suspense which was felt by himself and his army and by all who believed in the Union cause. The reader finds himself . . . on edge to know how the Civil War is coming out.\"   \u003cb\u003e—Edmund Wilson\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  “Perhaps the most revelatory autobiography of high command to exist in any language. . . . If there is a single contemporary document which explains ‘why the North won the Civil war,’ that abiding conundrum of American historical inquiry, it is the \u003ci\u003ePersonal Memoirs of U. S. Grant.\u003c\/i\u003e” —\u003cb\u003eJohn Keegan\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Well observed, often humorous, invariably charming, penetrating and lucid . . . On every page, his narrative has the simple directness of the finest English prose, inspired by the King James Bible on which he had been raised. The overall effect is both intimate and majestic.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction by James M. McPherson\u003cbr\u003eSuggestions for Further Reading\u003cbr\u003eMaps and Illustrations\u003cbr\u003ePreface\u003cbr\u003e1. Ancestry—Birth—Boyhood\u003cbr\u003e2. West Point—Graduation\u003cbr\u003e3. Army Life—Causes of the Mexican War—Camp Salubrity\u003cbr\u003e4. Corpus Christi—Mexican Smuggling—Spanish Rule in Mexico—Supplying Transportation\u003cbr\u003e5. Trip to Austin—Promotion to Full Second Lieutenant—Army of Occupation\u003cbr\u003e6. Advance of the Army—Crossing the Colorado—The Rio Grande\u003cbr\u003e7. The Mexican War—The Battle of Palo Alto—The Battle of Resaca de la Palma—Army of Invasion—General Taylor—Movement on Camargo\u003cbr\u003e8. Advance on Monterey—The Black Fort—The Battle of Monterey—Surrender of the City\u003cbr\u003e9. Political Intrigue—Buena Vista—Movement against Vera Cruz—Siege and Capture of Vera Cruz\u003cbr\u003e10. March to Jalapa—Battle of Cerro Gordo—Perote—Puebla—Scott and Taylor\u003cbr\u003e11. Advance on the City of Mexico—Battle of Contreras—Assault at Churubusco—Negotiations for Peace—Battle of Molino del Rey—Storming of Chapultepec—San Cosme—Evacuation of the City—Halls of the Montezumas\u003cbr\u003e12. Promotion to First Lieutenant—Capture of the City of Mexico—The Army—Mexican Soldiers—Peace Negotiations\u003cbr\u003e13. Treaty of Peace—Mexican Bull Fights—Regimental Quartermaster—Trip to Popcatapetl—Trip to the Caves of Mexico\u003cbr\u003e14. Return of the Army—Marriage—Ordered to the Pacific Coast—Crossing the Isthmus—Arrival at San Francisco\u003cbr\u003e15. San Francisco—Early California Experiences—Life on the Pacific Coast—Promoted Captain—Flush Times in California\u003cbr\u003e16. Resignation—Private Life—Life at Galena—The Coming Crisis\u003cbr\u003e17. Outbreak of the Rebellion—Presiding at a Union Meeting—Mustering Officer of State Troops—Lyon at Camp Jackson—Services Tendered to the Government\u003cbr\u003e18. Appointed Colonel of the 21st Illinois—Personnel of the Regiment—General Logan—March to Missouri—Movement against Harris at Florida, MO—General Pope in Command—Stationed at Mexico, MO\u003cbr\u003e19. Commissioned Brigadier-General—Command at Ironton, MO—Jefferson City—Cape Girardeau—General Prentiss—Seizure of Paducah—Headquarters at Cairo\u003cbr\u003e20. General Fremont in Command—Movement against Belmont—Battle of Belmont—A Narrow Escape—After the Battle\u003cbr\u003e21. General Halleck in Command—Commanding the District of Cairo—Movement on Fort Henry—Capture of Fort Henry\u003cbr\u003e22. Investment of Fort Donelson—The Naval Operations—Attack of the Enemy—Assaulting the Works—Surrender of the Fort\u003cbr\u003e 23. Promoted Major-General of Volunteers—Unoccupied Territory—Advance upon Nashville—Situation of the Troops—Confederate Retreat—Relieved of the Command—Restored to the Command—General Smith\u003cbr\u003e24. The Army at Pittsburg Landing—Injured by a Fall—The Confederate Attack at Shiloh—The First Day's Fight at Shiloh—General Sherman—Condition of the Army—Close of the First Day's Fight—The Second Day's Fight—Retreat and Defeat of the Confederates\u003cbr\u003e25. Struck by a Bullet—Precipitate Retreat of the Confederates—Intrenchments at Shiloh—General Buell—General Johnston—Remarks on Shiloh\u003cbr\u003e26. Halleck Assumes Command in the Field—The Advance upon Corinth—Occupation of Corinth—The Army Separated\u003cbr\u003e27. Headquarters Moved to Memphis—On the Road to Memphis—Escaping Jackson—Complaints and Requests—Halleck Appointed Commander-in-Chief—Return to Corinth—Movements of Bragg—Surrender of Clarksville—The Advance Upon Chattanooga—Sheridan Colonel of a Michigan Regiment\u003cbr\u003e28. Advance of Van Dorn and Price—Price Enters Iuka—Battle of Iuka\u003cbr\u003e30. The Campaign against Vicksburg—Employing the Freedmen—Occupation of Holly Springs—Sherman Ordered to Memphis—Sherman's Movements down the Mississippi—Van Dorn Captures Holly Springs—Collecting Forage and Food\u003cbr\u003e31. Headquarters Moved to Holly Springs—General McClernand in Command—Assuming Command at Young's Point—Operations above Vicksburg—Fortifications about Vicksburg—The Canal—Lake Providence—Operations at Yazoo Pass\u003cbr\u003e32. The Bayous West of the Mississippi—Criticisms of the Northern Press—Running the Batteries—Loss of the Indianola—Disposition of the Troops\u003cbr\u003e33. Attack on Grand Gulf—Operations below Vicksburg\u003cbr\u003e34. Capture of Port Gibson—Grierson's Raid—Occupation of Grand Gulf—Movement up the Big Black—Battle of Raymond\u003cbr\u003e35. Movement against Jackson—Fall of Jackson—Intercepting the Enemy—Battle of Champion's Hill\u003cbr\u003e36. Battle of Black River Bridge—Crossing the Big Black—Investment of Vicksburg—Assaulting the Works\u003cbr\u003e37. Siege of Vicksburg\u003cbr\u003e38. Johnston's Movements—Fortifications at Haines' Bluff—Explosion of the Mine—Explosion of the Second Mine—Preparing for the Assault—The Flag of Truce—Meeting with Pemberton—Negotiations for Surrender—Accepting the Terms—Surrender of Vicksburg\u003cbr\u003e39. Retrospect of the Campaign—Sherman's Movements—Proposed Movement upon Mobile—A Painful Accident—Ordered to Report at Cairo\u003cbr\u003e40. First Meeting with Secretary Stanton—General Rosecrans—Commanding Military Division of Mississippi—Andrew Johnson's Address—Arrival at Chattanooga\u003cbr\u003e41. Assuming the Command at Chattanooga—Opening a Line of Supplies—Battle of Wauhatchie—On the Picket Line\u003cbr\u003e42. Condition of the Army—Rebuilding the Railroad—General Burnside's Situation—Orders for Battle—Plans for the Attack—Hooker's Position—Sherman's Movements\u003cbr\u003e43. Preparations for Battle—Thomas Carries the First Line of the Enemy—Sherman Carries Missionary Ridge—Battle of Lookout Mountain—General Hooker's Fight\u003cbr\u003e44. Battle of Chattanooga—A Gallant Charge—Complete Rout of the Enemy—Pursuit of the Confederates—General Bragg—Remarks on Chattanooga\u003cbr\u003e45. The Relief of Knoxville—Headquarters Moved to Nashville—Visiting Knoxville—Cipher Dispatches—Withholding Orders\u003cbr\u003e46. Operations in Mississippi—Longstreet in East Tennessee—Commissioned Lieutenant-General—Commanding the Armies of the United States—First Interview with President Lincoln\u003cbr\u003e47. The Military Situation—Plans for the Campaign—Sheridan Assigned to Command of the Cavalry—Flank Movements—Forrest at Fort Pillow—General Banks's Expedition—Colonel Mosby—An Incident of the Wilderness Campaign\u003cbr\u003e48. Commencement of the Grand Campaign—General Butler's Position—Sheridan's First Raid\u003cbr\u003e49. Sherman's Campaign in Georgia—Siege of Atlanta—Death of General McPherson—Attempt to Capture Andersonville—Capture of Atlanta\u003cbr\u003e50. Grand Movement of the Army of the Potomac—Crossing the Rapidan—Entering the Wilderness—Battle of the Wilderness\u003cbr\u003e51. After the Battle—Telegraph and Signal Service—Movement by the Left Flank\u003cbr\u003e52. Battle of Spottsylvania—Hancock's Position—Assault of Warren's and Wright's Crops—Upton Promoted on the Field—Good News from Butler and Sheridan\u003cbr\u003e53. Hancock's Assault—Losses of the Confederates—Promotions Recommended—Discomfiture of the Enemy—Ewell's Attack—Reducing the Artillery\u003cbr\u003e54. Movement by the Left Flank—Battle of North Anna—An Incident of the March—Moving on Richmond—South of the Pamunkey—Position of the National Army\u003cbr\u003e55. Advance on Cold Harbor—An Anecdote of the War—Battle of Cold Harbor—Correspondence with Lee—Retrospective\u003cbr\u003e56. Left Flank Movement across the Chickahominy and James—General Lee—Visit to Butler—The Movement on Petersburg—The Investment of Petersburg\u003cbr\u003e57. Raid on the Virginia Central Railroad—Raid on the Weldon Railroad—Early's Movement upon Washington—Mining the Works before Petersburg—Explosion of the Mine before Petersburg—Campaign in the Shenandoah Valley—Capture of the Weldon Railroad\u003cbr\u003e58. Sheridan's Advance—Visit to Sheridan—Sheridan's Victory in the Shenandoah—Sheridan's Ride to Winchester—Close of the Campaign for the Winter\u003cbr\u003e59. The Campaign in Georgia—Sherman's March to the Sea—War Anecdotes—The March on Savannah—Investment of Savannah—Capture of Savannah\u003cbr\u003e60. The Battle of Franklin—The Battle of Nashville\u003cbr\u003e61. Expedition against Fort Fisher—Attack on the Fort—Failure of the Expedition—Second Expedition against the Fort—Capture of Fort Fisher\u003cbr\u003e62. Sherman's March North—Sheridan Ordered to Lynchburg—Canby Ordered to Move against Mobile—Movements of Schofield and Thomas—Capture of Columbia, South Carolina—Sherman in the Carolinas\u003cbr\u003e63. Arrival of the Peace Commissioners—Lincoln and the Peace Commissioners—An Anecdote of Lincoln—The Winter before Petersburg—Sheridan Destroys the Railroad—Gordon Carries the Picket Line—Parke Recaptures the Line—The Battle of White Oak Road\u003cbr\u003e64. Interview with Sheridan—Grand Movement of the Army of the Potomac—Sheridan's Advance on Five Forks—Battle of Five Forks—Parke and Wright Storm the Enemy's Line—Battles before Petersburg\u003cbr\u003e65. The Capture of Petersburg—Meeting President Lincoln in Petersburg—The Capture of Richmond—Pursuing the Enemy—Visit to Sheridan and Meade\u003cbr\u003e66. Battle of Sailor's Creek—Engagement at Farmville—Correspondence with General Lee—Sheridan Intercepts the Enemy\u003cbr\u003e67. Negotiations at Appomattox—Interview with Lee at McLean's House—The Terms of Surrender—Lee's Surrender—Interview with Lee after the Surrender\u003cbr\u003e68. Morale of the Two Armies—Relative Conditions of the North and South—President Lincoln Visits Richmond—Arrival at Washington—President Lincoln's Assassination—President Johnson's Policy\u003cbr\u003e69. Sherman and Johnston—Johnston's Surrender to Sherman—Capture of Mobile—Wilson's Expedition—Capture of Jefferson Davis—General Thomas's Qualities—Estimate of General Canby\u003cbr\u003e70. The End of the War—The March to Washington—One of Lincoln's Anecdotes—Grand Review at Washington—Characteristics of Lincoln and Stanton—Estimate of the Different Corps Commanders\u003cbr\u003eConclusion\u003cbr\u003eExplanatory Notes\u003cbr\u003eIndex","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732368372055,"sku":"9780140437010","price":11.69,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780140437010.jpg?v=1719996581"},{"product_id":"stalin-vol-ii-9780141027951","title":"Stalin Vol. II","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA\u003ci\u003e SUNDAY TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''A brilliant, compelling, propulsively written, magnificent tour de force'' Simon Sebag Montefiore, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eEvening Standard\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''The second volume of what will surely rank as one of the greatest historical achievements of our age ... The \u003ci\u003eWar and Peace\u003c\/i\u003e of history: a book you fear you will never finish, but just cannot put down'' Dominic Sandbrook, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eSunday Times \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eWell before 1929, Stalin had achieved dictatorial power over the Soviet empire, but now he decided that the largest peasant economy in the world would be transformed into socialist modernity, whatever it took. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat it took, and what Stalin managed to force through, transformed the country and its ruler in profound and enduring ways. Rather than a tale of a deformed or paranoid personality creating a political system, this is a story of a political system shaping a personality. Building and running a dictatorship, with power of life or death over hundreds of millions, in conditions of capitalist self-encirclement, made Stalin the person he became.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWholesale collectivization of agriculture, some 120 million peasants, necessitated levels of coercion that were extreme even for Russia, but Stalin did not flinch; the resulting mass starvation and death elicited criticism inside the party even from those Communists committed to the eradication of capitalism. By 1934, when the situation had stabilized and socialism had been built in the countryside too, the internal praise came for his uncanny success in anticapitalist terms.  But Stalin never forgot and never forgave, with bloody consequences as he strove to consolidate the state with a brand new elite.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStalin had revived a great power with a formidable industrialized military. But the Soviet Union was effectively alone, with no allies and enemies perceived everywhere. The quest to find security would bring Soviet Communism into an improbable pact with Nazi Germany. But that bargain did not work out as envisioned. The lives of Stalin and Hitler, and the fates of their respective countries, drew ever closer to collision.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eStalin: Waiting for Hitler: 1929-1941\u003c\/i\u003e is, like its predecessor \u003ci\u003eStalin:\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eParadoxes of Power: 1878-1928\u003c\/i\u003e, nothing less than a history of the world from Stalin''s desk. It is also, like its predecessor, a landmark achievement in the annals of the biographer''s art.  Kotkin''s portrait captures the vast structures moving global events, and the intimate details of decision-making.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMasterly, a riveting tale, written with pace and aplomb. [of volume one] * New York Times *\u003cbr\u003eExhilarating, compelling, terrifying and utterly gripping... Stalin emerges from Kotkin's book as that most frightening of figures -- a man of absolute conviction. [of volume one] -- Lucy Hughes-Hallett * New Statesman *\u003cbr\u003eOriginal, engaging, with a sharp, irreverent wit [of volume one] -- Sheila Fitzpatrick * Guardian *","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732396912983,"sku":"9780141027951","price":17.09,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780141027951.jpg?v=1719996702"},{"product_id":"the-presidents-9780141042459","title":"The Presidents","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this magisterial examination of the Presidency over the course of the 20th Century, the author explores the history of the world''s greatest elective office and the role each incumbent has played in changing the scope of its powers. Using individual presidential portraits of each of the presidents of the past century Graubard asks, and answers, a wide variety of crucial questions about each President. What intellectual, social and political assets did they bring to the White House, and how quickly did they deplete or mortgage that capital? How well did they cope with crises, foreign and domestic? How much attention did they pay to their election pledges after they were elected? How did they use the media, old and new? Above all, how did they conduct themselves in office and what legacy did they leave to their successors? 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This monumental and brilliant work has given Obama the model for his presidency, showing how Abraham Lincoln saved America by appointing his fiercest rival to key cabinet positions. As well as a thrilling piece of narrative history, it''s an inspiring study of one of the greatest leaders the world has ever seen.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''A wonderful book . . . a remarkable study in leadership'' Barack Obama\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''A portrait of Lincoln as a virtuosic politician and managerial genius'' The New York Times\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''I have not enjoyed a history book as much for years'' Robert Harris\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDoris Kearns Goodwin is the doyenne of US presidential historians, and one of \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA wonderful book ... a remarkable study in leadership -- Barack Obama\u003cbr\u003eThe most uplifting book that I have read in the last two decades. Sensational -- Jon Snow\u003cbr\u003eI have not enjoyed a history book as much for years -- Robert Harris * The Observer (Books of the Year) *\u003cbr\u003eA  fabulously engrossing, exciting narrative in the grand old style ... overflowing with colour and character -- Dominic Sandbrook\u003cbr\u003eA brilliant book ... I couldn't get enough of it -- Alex Ferguson\u003cbr\u003eGoodwin's narrative abilities are on full display here. A portrait of Lincoln as a virtuosic politician and managerial genius -- Michiko Kakutani * New York Times *\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732409954647,"sku":"9780141043722","price":14.24,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780141043722.jpg?v=1719996754"},{"product_id":"we-will-all-go-down-fighting-to-the-end-9780141192536","title":"We Will All Go Down Fighting to the End","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWinston Churchill (1874-1965) was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1940 to 1945 and from 1951 to 1955. 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It is the incredible journey of an awkward, terrified young typist in her twenties later chosen to become the President''s most loyal and devoted servants, spending most of her adult working life travelling with, supporting and caring for the man she would come to call ''Khulu'', or ''grandfather''.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHere Zelda la Grange pays \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eZelda la Grange has a singular perspective on Nelson Mandela, having served as his long-time personal aide, confidant and close friend. She is a dear friend to both of us and a touchstone to all of us who loved Madiba. Her story of their journey together demonstrates how a man who transformed an entire nation also had the power to transform the life of one extraordinary woman -- Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary, Actor and Producer of \"Invictus\"\u003cbr\u003eUplifting. . . generally charming, occasionally faintly indiscreet, but always reverent. Surely no one but Mandela - with the possible exception of the Duke of Edinburgh - could have got away with greeting the Queen with a cheery: \"Oh Elizabeth, you've lost weight!\" * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eA searingly honest, moving and entertaining account of her years orbiting President Nelson Mandela... Between the rich anecdotes of Madiba's numerous encounters with the world's powerful, wealthy and (in)famous - which she witnessed at close range - as well accounts of his personal quirks, virtues, foibles and torments, La Grange's book sets out her own journey from naïve, completely unaware, conservative white South African to more conscious human being * Daily Maverick *\u003cbr\u003eCompelling and ultimately heartbreaking ... her unguarded honesty allows her to tell a remarkable story * Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eA delightful, delicious read packed with anecdotes -- John Carlin\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732498231639,"sku":"9780141978659","price":11.69,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780141978659.jpg?v=1719997149"},{"product_id":"churchill-9780141981253","title":"Churchill","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTHE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER\u003cbr\u003eA \u003ci\u003eSUNDAY TIMES, THE TIMES, ECONOMIST, DAILY TELEGRAPH, EVENING STANDARD, OBSERVER\u003c\/i\u003e BOOK OF THE YEAR\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''Undoubtedly the best single-volume life of Churchill ever written'' Dominic Sandbrook, \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA magnificently fresh and unexpected biography of Churchill, by one of Britain''s most acclaimed historians\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWinston Churchill towers over every other figure in twentieth-century  British history. 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Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke, Churchill''s  essential partner in strategy and most severe critic in private, wrote  in his diary, ''I thank God I was given such an opportunity of working alongside such a man, and of having my eyes opened to the fact that occasionally such supermen exist on this earth.''\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis terrific book, which bursts with character, humour and incident on almost every page ... is undoubtedly the best single-volume life of Churchill ever written -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eThe best single-volume life imaginable -- Simon Heffer * Sunday Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eIt's the sort of biography that, one feels, Churchill himself would have wanted. 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Churchill's career provides ample proof that fact can be far more extraordinary than fiction -- Nick Rennison * Daily Mail *\u003cbr\u003eA work of unequalled scholarship. Read it and you will not have to bother with the previous 1,000 biographies -- Paul Routledge * Tablet *\u003cbr\u003eA heroic biography, appropriately matched to the ambition, egotism and undoubted achievement of the life it describes -- John Campbell * Finest Hour *\u003cbr\u003eBrilliant, breathtaking, unputdownable ... All Roberts's past life has been but a preparation for this hour and this work, and this brilliant book is a fitting crown to his own career -- Michael Gove * Evening Standard *\u003cbr\u003eIn a single volume, Andrew Roberts has captured the essence of one of the world's most impactful, most memorable statesmen. It is the crowning achievement of his career - and will become the definitive biography of its subject. -- Henry Kissinger","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732500656471,"sku":"9780141981253","price":17.09,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780141981253.jpg?v=1719997159"},{"product_id":"franklin-d-roosevelt-a-political-life-9780141986593","title":"Franklin D. Roosevelt A Political Life","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom the acclaimed author of  \u003ci\u003eJohn F. Kennedy: An Unfinished Life, \u003c\/i\u003ethe biography of one of America''s greatest presidents, Franklin D. Roosevelt.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''Meticulously researched and authoritative, heroically objective and  wide-angled ... 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It is a book that cares about liberty, choice and a moral compass, that warns against the hubris of an angry Bonaparte on the turn in a Russian winter, against leaders who do not listen or learn. A training manual for our troubled times -- Roger Boyes * The Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eOn Grand Strategy \u003c\/i\u003eis many things - a thoughtful validation of the liberal arts, an argument for literature over social science, an engaging reflection on university education and some timely advice that lasting victory comes from winning what you can rather than all that you want. -- Victor Davis Hanson * The New York Times *\u003cbr\u003eA brilliant book - learned, seductively written, deep -- Roger Kimball * New Criterion *\u003cbr\u003eGaddis has indisputably earned the right to plow different fields of historical inquiry, which he does in \u003ci\u003eOn Grand Strategy\u003c\/i\u003e with self-evident glee and peripatetic curiosity -- Gordon M. Goldstein * Washington Post *\u003cbr\u003eA long walk with a single, delightful mind, which makes it much easier for the reader to comprehend the lessons that cohere across continents and millennia -- John Nagl * Wall Street Journal *","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732507865431,"sku":"9780141987224","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780141987224.jpg?v=1719997190"},{"product_id":"leadership-in-war-lessons-from-those-who-made-history-9780141987545","title":"Leadership in War Lessons from Those Who Made","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e''Wonderful ... among military historians, Roberts is Britain''s crown gem'' \u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTaking us from the French Revolution to the Cold War and the Falklands, celebrated historian Andrew Roberts presents us with a bracingly honest and insightful look at nine major figures in modern history: Napoleon Bonaparte, Horatio Nelson, Winston Churchill, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, George C. Marshall, Charles de Gaulle, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Margaret Thatcher.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEach of these leaders fundamentally shaped the outcome of the war their nation was embroiled in. How were they alike, and in what ways did they differ? Was their war leadership unique, or did these leaders have something in common, traits and techniques that transcend time and place and can be applied to the fundamental nature of conflict?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMeticulously researched and compellingly written, \u003ci\u003eLeadership\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003ein War \u003c\/i\u003epresents readers with fresh, complex portraits of leaders who approa\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRoberts is superbly well-qualified to write about these extraordinary leaders.\u003c\/b\u003e Roberts teaches not just through analysis, as indeed he does, but by example. \u003cb\u003eEach of his chapters is a finely crafted gem of communication. Roberts's description offers vivid detail, spare prose, immortal rhetoric, and a touch of humor. His chapters offer masterly, magnificent portraits of what it takes to steer an army or a nation through a crisis.\u003c\/b\u003e Any leader would envy the chance to have Roberts as his or her speechwriter or Director of Communications. \u003cb\u003eEvery reader can be grateful for such a thrilling and succinct account of leadership\u003c\/b\u003e. -- Barry Strauss * The New Criterion *\u003cbr\u003eA condensation of a wonderful series of lectures Mr Roberts delivered to the New-York Historical Society ... \u003cb\u003eAmong military historians, Mr Roberts is Britain's crown gem, and his pithy insights compiled in 'Leadership in War' reflect decades of diligent, patient study\u003c\/b\u003e. -- Jonathan W. Jordan * Wall Street Journal *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMeticulously researched and full of revelations, this is a fascinating read.\u003c\/b\u003e * Sun *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLeadership in War\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cb\u003eis an understated treasure of 2019\u003c\/b\u003e...\u003cb\u003ea tour de force of historical portraiture.\u003c\/b\u003e -- Barnaby Crowcroft * National Review *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLeadership in War\u003c\/i\u003e has \u003cb\u003ethe enjoyable feel of a lively dinner table conversation\u003c\/b\u003e. -- Thomas E. Ricks * New York Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eilluminating experiences are presented in easily digestible form in Andrew Roberts's new book\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eLeadership in War\u003c\/i\u003e, a collection of nine portraits of wartime leaders, from Napoleon Bonaparte to Margaret Thatcher. These portrayals were originally delivered as lectures by Roberts, a prolific historian of World War II and biographer of Napoleon and Churchill. The profiles of Napoleon and Dwight D. 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This dismantling of myths and memes alike, along with dispelling the belief that the left has any kind of monopoly on morality, is \u003cb\u003ean \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eessential read \u003c\/b\u003eand a reminder that Keir Starmer has quite a job on his hands. -- Alexander Larman * The Observer *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe best book written about the Labour Party in recent years ... a must read\u003c\/b\u003e for those of us wanting the Labour Party to become once again a Party of Government. -- Douglas Alexander, former Minister of State for Trade\u003cbr\u003eA \u003cb\u003ehighly original take\u003c\/b\u003e on Labour mythology and how this impacts the party's ability to connect with the voters ... offers \u003cb\u003eone of the most innovative explanations \u003c\/b\u003eof how Labour has lost its way over the past decade. -- Anthony Broxton * The Critic *","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732515828055,"sku":"9780141994352","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780141994352.jpg?v=1719997223"},{"product_id":"a-firstrate-madness-uncovering-the-links-between-leadership-and-mental-illness-9780143121336","title":"A FirstRate Madness Uncovering the Links Between","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestseller\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e“A glistening psychological history, faceted largely by the biographies of eight famous leaders . . .” —\u003ci\u003eThe Boston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e“A provocative thesis . . . 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From the importance of Lincoln's\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGhaemi isn't the first to claim that madness is a close relative of genius, or even the first to extend the idea into politics. But he does go further than others...His explanations are elegant, too - intuitively accurate and banked off the latest psychiatric research. * Newsweek *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eA First-Rate Madness\u003c\/i\u003e is a sophisticated work of psychology, but it is also a gossipy work of celebrity history, a who's who of the eminently unhinged. * The New York Observer *","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732523462999,"sku":"9780143121336","price":13.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780143121336.jpg?v=1719997258"},{"product_id":"washington-9780143119968","title":"Washington","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom the author of \u003ci\u003eAlexander Hamilton\u003c\/i\u003e, the New York Times bestselling biography that inspired the musical, comes a\u003cb\u003e gripping portrait of the first president of the United States.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWinner of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Biography\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Truly magnificent . . . [a] well-researched, well-written and absolutely definitive biography” \u003cb\u003e—Andrew Roberts, \u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Until recently, I’d never believed that there could be such a thing as a truly gripping biography of George Washington . . . Well, I was wrong. I can’t recommend it highly enough—as history, as epic, and, not least, as entertainment.” \u003cb\u003e—Hendrik Hertzberg, \u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eCelebrated biographer Ron Chernow provides a richly nuanced portrait of the father of our nation and the first president of the United States. With a breadth and depth matched by no oth\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Truly magnificent . . . [a] well-researched, well-written and absolutely  definitive biography” \u003cb\u003e—Andrew Roberts, \u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Superb . . . the best, most comprehensive, and most balanced single-volume  biography of Washington ever written. [Chernow’s] understanding of human  nature is extraordinary and that is what makes his biography so  powerful.” —\u003cb\u003eGordon S. Wood, \u003ci\u003eThe New York Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Chernow displays a breadth of knowledge about Washington that is  nothing short of phenomenal… never before has Washington been rendered  so tangibly in such a smart, tenaciously researched volume as Chernow's  opus . . . a riveting read . . .” \u003cb\u003e—Douglas Brinkley, \u003ci\u003eThe Los Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Until recently, I’d never believed that there could be such a thing as a truly gripping biography of George Washington . . . Well, I was wrong. Ron Chernow’s huge (900 pages) \u003ci\u003eWashington: A Life\u003c\/i\u003e, which I’ve just finished, does all that and more. I can’t recommend it highly enough—as history, as epic, and, not least, as entertainment. It’s as luxuriantly pleasurable as one of those great big sprawling, sweeping Victorian novels.” \u003cb\u003e—Hendrik Hertzberg, \u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[Ron Chernow] has done justice to the solid flesh, the human frailty and the dental miseries of his subject—and also to his immense historical importance . . . This is a magnificently fair, full-scale biography.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe Economist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732523528535,"sku":"9780143119968","price":17.09,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780143119968.jpg?v=1719997260"},{"product_id":"autobiography-and-other-writings-oxford-worlds-classics-9780199554904","title":"Autobiography and Other Writings Oxford Worlds","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIncludes: Autobiography; 1726; Journal of a Voyage; Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind; The Kite Experiment; Poor Richard's Maxims; The Internal State of America; Speech in the Constitutional Convention at the Conclusion of its Deliberations","brand":"Oxford University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732860350807,"sku":"9780199554904","price":8.54,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780199554904.jpg?v=1719998708"},{"product_id":"john-f-kennedy-9780199754366","title":"John F. Kennedy","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRobert Dallek''s masterful John F. Kennedy: An Unfinished Life was a number one national bestseller, and it remains the most widely read one-volume biography of the 35th President. Now, in this marvelous short biography of John F. Kennedy, Dallek achieves a miracle of compression, capturing in a small space the essence of his renowned full-length masterpiece.  Here readers will find the fascinating insights and groundbreaking revelations found in An Unfinished Life. The heart of the book focuses on Kennedy''s political career, especially the presidency. The book sheds light on key foreign affairs issues such as the Bay of Pigs debacle, Khrushchev''s misguided bullying of Kennedy in Vienna, the Cuban Missile crisis, the nuclear test ban, the race for space, and the initial dealings with Southeast Asia, especially Laos. 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Kennedy, but Dallek succeeds in this riveting and well-documented biography.\"^iThe New Yorker^r\u003cbr\u003e\"An intimate portrait indeed...unexpected and important.... This is nothing if not a profile in courage.\"^iNew York Times Book Review^r\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003esingle chapter","brand":"Oxford University Press Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732889383255,"sku":"9780199754366","price":10.92,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780199754366.jpg?v=1719998824"},{"product_id":"changing-their-minds-9780226775814","title":"Changing Their Minds","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDespite popular perceptions, presidents rarely succeed in persuading either the public or members of Congress to change their minds and move from opposition to particular policies to support of them. As a result, the White House is not able to alter the political landscape and create opportunities for change. Instead, successful presidents recognize and skillfully exploit the opportunities already found in their political environments. If they fail to understand their strategic positions, they are likely to overreach and experience political disaster.     Donald Trump has been a distinctive president, and his arrival in the Oval Office brought new questions. Could someone with his decades of experience as a self-promoter connect with the public and win its support? Could a president who is an experienced negotiator obtain the support in Congress needed to pass his legislative programs? Would we need to adjust the theory of presidential leadership to accommodate a president with unique \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Edwards uses a scholar’s tools to dissect Trump’s presidency, asking all the right questions and answering them with careful and thorough analysis. In Edwards’s telling, Trump neither found a way to sway public opinion nor found a way to manage the government. The result is a smart and unsparing portrait of the nation’s forty-fifth president—from his corrosive effect on the public discourse to his impact on democratic institutions.” -- Dan Balz, Washington Post\u003cbr\u003e“In this sweeping, dispassionate, and altogether damning survey, Edwards makes the case that Trump failed the most important test of presidential leadership: namely, to deliver policy accomplishments where political conditions allow, and to avoid the trappings and delusions of transformational change. For all of his vaunted skills as a dealmaker, Trump could not find the wherewithal to take advantage of the real opportunities that stood before him. Instead, he crashed headlong into political obstacles that were impervious to his threats and entreaties.” -- William G. Howell, University of Chicago\u003cbr\u003e“Edwards deftly applies leading theories of presidential power to the Trump presidency. His discerning analysis rests on a richly detailed and thoroughly documented account of Trump’s political leadership that is both a major contribution to our understanding of this most aberrant of presidencies and an invaluable starting point for future scholars.” -- Gary C. Jacobson, University of California, San Diego\u003cbr\u003e“This timely and important book applies insights gleaned from Edwards’s more than forty years of presidential scholarship to assess and understand the iconoclastic Trump presidency. Despite his showman’s bravado, Edwards shows that Trump was no more successful than his predecessors in moving public opinion and Congress, and he offers a trenchant assessment of Trump’s failed leadership, which ultimately cost the nation dearly.” -- Douglas L. Kriner, Cornell University\u003cbr\u003e“Edwards offers a sober, evidence-based assessment of the Trump presidency. In the process, he convincingly demonstrates that even a norm-shattering president was subject to the same fundamental political and strategic constraints as his predecessors.” -- Frances Lee, Princeton University\u003cbr\u003e“Edwards brings a lifetime of insight and learning to bear on the ‘great disruption.’ Trump defied the rules and shocked the system. Now, as the dust settles, Edwards eyes the context, filters the noise, and scrutinizes the results. For an assessment of the political significance of this most unusual presidency, there is no better place to begin.” -- Stephen Skowronek, Yale University\u003cbr\u003e\"George Edwards, a dean of presidential studies, offers an early postmortem on\u003cbr\u003e the Trump presidency. His latest book is a must read starting point for understanding\u003cbr\u003e the Trump era and how his unique administration fits within the presidency and the\u003cbr\u003e established presidential scholarship.\" -- Paul Brace * Congress \u0026amp; The Presidency *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePreface\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 1. Trump as a Test\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart 1. The Promoter? Leading the Public\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 2. Strategic Position with the Public\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 3. Going Public\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 4. On Deaf Ears\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 5. The Bully in the Pulpit\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart 2. The Closer? Leading Congress\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 6. Strategic Position with Congress\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 7. No Deal: Negotiating with Congress\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 8. At the Margins\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart 3. Trump as a Leader\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 9. Plus ça Change\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e     Notes\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e     Index\u003cbr\u003e  ","brand":"The University of Chicago Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732920742231,"sku":"9780226775814","price":20.25,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780226775814.jpg?v=1719998955"},{"product_id":"margaret-thatcher-the-authorized-biography-volume-three-herself-alone-margaret-thatcher-the-authorised-biography-3-9780241324745","title":"Margaret Thatcher The Authorized Biography Volume","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eShortlisted for the 2020 ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe final part of Charles Moore''s bestselling and definitive biography of Britain''s first female Prime Minister, ''One of the great biographical achievements of our times'' (\u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eTIMES, SUNDAY TIMES, FINANCIAL TIMES, SPECTATOR, TELEGRAPH, IRISH TIMES, NEW STATESMAN\u003c\/i\u003e AND \u003ci\u003eSPECTATOR\u003c\/i\u003e BOOK OF THE YEAR\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHow did Margaret Thatcher change and divide Britain? How did her model of combative female leadership help shape the way we live now? How did the woman who won the Cold War and three general elections in succession find herself pushed out by her own MPs?\u003cbr\u003eCharles Moore''s full account, based on unique access to Margaret Thatcher herself, her papers and her closest associates, tells the story of her last period in office, her combative retirement and the controversy that surrounded her even in death. It includes the Fall of the Berlin Wall which she had fou\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMoore has finally completed one of the most thrilling, comprehensive, fair-minded and elegantly written biographies of modern times. It is full of complex argument, and a very large cast, but it is a joy to read\u003c\/b\u003e. -- Andrew Marr * New Statesman *\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eReviewers are supposed never to use the word \"definitive\" about a history book or biograph, but with Charles Moore's life of Margaret Thatcher, of which this is the triumphant last volume, one has no other option. ... an absolute masterpiece of the biographer's art.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e -- Andrew Roberts * Daily Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMoore's \u003ci\u003eMargaret Thatcher\u003c\/i\u003e is one of the truly great biographies. Throughout the three volumes it has been comprehensive and subtle, breaking new ground while being surefooted on familiar terrain. He provides a portrait of Thatcher - her anxiousness and her certainty, her strength and her frailty - that is surprising and fresh while still convincing. This volume completes a historical masterpiece\u003c\/b\u003e. -- Daniel Finkelstein * The Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNot merely the authorized biography, Moore's is the definitive biography of Thatcher, and perhaps one of the definitive books about Britain in the late twentieth century.\u003c\/b\u003e -- Anne Applebaum * New York Review of Books *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis is a magnificent political biography which takes its place next to Robert Blake's \u003ci\u003eDisraeli\u003c\/i\u003e and Robert Caro's \u003ci\u003eLyndon Johnson\u003c\/i\u003e on the highest level\u003c\/b\u003e. Outstanding... superb... extraordinarily compelling. -- Philip Hensher * Spectator *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePraise for the first two volumes\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e * : *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAs close as biography can come to being a work of art\u003c\/b\u003e -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eOne of the great biographical achievements of our times\u003c\/b\u003e -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48733001875799,"sku":"9780241324745","price":28.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780241324745.jpg?v=1719999220"},{"product_id":"leaders-9780241336342","title":"Leaders","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLeaders\u003c\/i\u003e rexamines old notions of leadership - especially the outdated view that history is shaped by great men going it alone. General McChrystal shows us that leadership can take many forms, leaders often have different strengths, and great leaders can come from anywhere -- SHERYL SANDBERG * COO of Facebook and founder of LeanIn.Org *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLeaders\u003c\/i\u003e is a superb, thought-provoking challenge to conventional understanding of the nature of leadership. An enlightening, entertaining must-read about why we revere so many leaders who are often deeply flawed and even unsuccessful, and the lessons for thinking about and teaching leadership in the future -- ROBERT M. GATES * former US Secretary of Defense *\u003cbr\u003eLeadership, we learn, is complex. At a time when Americans yearn for leaders we can admire and respect, this book... will help you think differently about both leadership and our history -- WALTER ISAACSON * author of Steve Jobs and Leonardo da Vinci *\u003cbr\u003eNo living American has more convincingly combined the practice and teaching of leadership than General Stanley McChrystal: that's why Yale students flock to his classes. Now, in \u003ci\u003eLeaders\u003c\/i\u003e, he invites us to join them, with Plutarch as his teaching assistant. No current or aspiring leader can afford to miss this shrewd and surprising book -- JOHN LEWIS GADDIS * Yale University *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLeaders\u003c\/i\u003e is a must-read for all leaders - whether they're just beginning their careers or whether they're already leading an entire organization -- KEN LANGONE * author of I Love Capitalism! *\u003cbr\u003eWhenever Stanley McChrystal talks, I take notes. I am so drawn to his ability to cut through pop-culture theories about leadership to get to the core of what actually makes a leader. \u003ci\u003eLeaders\u003c\/i\u003e takes us deeper than most other leadership books into the true and often messy mechanics of leadership. Anyone who considers themselves a student of leadership must read this book -- SIMON SINEK * optimist and author of Start With Why and Leader Eat Last *","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48733016031575,"sku":"9780241336342","price":11.69,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780241336342.jpg?v=1719999235"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/collections\/political-leaders-and-leadership.oembed?page=55","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}