Political leaders and leadership Books

Book SynopsisLeadership is not a rank, it is a responsibility. Leadership is not about being in charge, it is about taking care of those in your charge.When we take care of our people, our people will take care of us. They will help see that our cause becomes a reality.In Leaders Eat Last, Simon Sinek, internationally bestselling author of Start With Why, investigates these great leaders from Marine Corps Officers, who don''t just sacrifice their place at the table but often their own comfort and even their lives for those in their care, to the heads of big business and government - each putting aside their own interests to protect their teams.''Simple and elegant, it shows us how leaders should lead'' William Ury, co-author of Getting to YesTrade ReviewAs refreshingly simple and easy to follow as it is thought-provoking * Management Today *

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Book SynopsisAfter dozens of books and articles by anonymous sources, here, finally, is a history of the Trump White House, with the President and his staff talking openly and on the record. In Inside Trump's White House, Doug Wead offers a sweeping, eloquent history of President Donald J. Trump's first years in the White House, covering everything from election night to the biggest political obstacles of his presidency. The book will include never-before-reported stories and scoops, including how President Trump turned around the American economy, how he "never complains and never explains", and insight into how his actions sometimes lead to misunderstandings with the media and the public. Inside Trump's White House features exclusive interviews with the Trump family about the Mueller Report, and narrates their reactions when the report was finally released. Wead successfully gained interviews with the President in the Oval Office, chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, Jared and Ivanka Kushner, Donald Trump Jr, Eric and Lara Trump, and White House insiders for this illuminating history.

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Book Synopsis* THE INTERNATIONAL AND SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER *‘Even in the darkest of Dickens novels, no family comes across quite as mendacious, grasping and avaricious as the Trumps’ Financial Times A REVELATORY PORTRAIT OF DONALD J. TRUMP AND THE TOXIC FAMILY THAT MADE HIM – WRITTEN BY HIS NIECE, MARY L. TRUMP  Mary Trump spent much of her childhood in her grandparents’ large, imposing house in New York with Donald and his four siblings. She describes a nightmare of traumas, destructive relationships and a tragic combination of neglect and abuse. As a first-hand witness and a trained clinical psychologist, Mary explains how specific events and general family patterns created the damaged man who occupied the Oval Office. Written by the only Trump willing to speak out, Too Much and Never Enough is a fascinating and unnerving analysis on one of the world’s most powerful aTrade Review‘Mary draws a portrait of a surreal, scarred clan... But the fact that Donald morphed from huckster to celebrity to president makes her account seminal and indispensable. Mary’s clarity, training, discipline and sharp eye help make her a reliable narrator, and she’s a fluid, witty writer to boot. Everything in her book that I’m familiar with is spot on. There is plenty in the book, however, that I wasn’t aware of, and I suspect that’s the reason the president and his siblings have gone to court to try to halt its publication.’ -- Timothy L. O'Brien * Bloomberg *'Trump claims to be unique, exceptional, a shining self-creation. This book by his estranged niece demolishes that myth. Mary Trump’s ruthless memoir blames their family for creating him: she sees it as her patriotic mission to “take Donald down”, and she does so by showing how derivative and dependent the ultimate self-made man has always been... In a startling final condemnation, she charges that his “craven need for ‘revenge’” on opponents makes him, in his nonchalance about coronavirus in New York, responsible for what she calls “mass murder”.' -- Peter Conrad * Guardian *'Mary Trump’s compelling saga of one very unhappy family does more than just provide probing insights into her uncle’s disturbing inner world. It’s also a first-rate primer on the chaotic inner workings of an administration that has shocked the world by failing to take the basic steps required to keep Americans safe during the coronavirus pandemic.' * Boston Globe *'The most devastating, most valuable and all-around best Trump book since he started running for president. In the vast Trump literature, this one is something new...[W]hat this book does do is help us understand him, offering the most incisive rendering yet of why he is the way he is.' * Politico *'A delicious tell-all that does in fact tell all in a way one longs for a tell-all to do.' * Vogue *'Dripping with snideness, vibrating with rage, and gleaming with clarity - a deeply satisfying read.' * Kirkus (starred review) *'Mesmerising beach reading and a memorable opposition research dump... It is salacious, venomous and well-sourced... Yet the narrative remains compelling.' * Guardian *'[A] deftly written account of cross-generational trauma...Mary Trump brings to this account the insider perspective of a family member, the observational and analytical abilities of a clinical psychologist and the writing talent of a former graduate student in comparative literature.' * Washington Post *'After many, many Trump books, this is an essential one.' * Vanity Fair *'You can see why President Trump doesn’t want anyone to read this thing. It gives the lie to many of his most cherished myths about himself.' * Los Angeles Times *'Mary L. Trump comes closer than anyone to describing the making of a seemingly heartless person who won his way to the White House...[A]n insightful, well-crafted memoir.' * CNN *

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Book SynopsisWhat if there's a hidden dimension to Donald Trump; a sensitive, poetic side? Driven by this question, Rob Sears began combing Trump's words for signs of poetry.What he found was a revelation. By simply taking the 45th President of the United States' tweets and transcripts, cutting them up and reordering them, Sears unearthed a trove of beautiful verse that was just waiting to be discovered.This groundbreaking collection gives readers a glimpse of Trump's innermost thoughts and feelings on everything from the nature of truth, to what he hates about Lord Sugar. And it will reveal a hitherto hidden Donald, who may surprise and delight both students and critics alike.Now with seventeen all-new poems! As we lurch deeper into the Trump presidency, this timely publication also includes Sears' scholarly footnotes and introduction, in which he excavates new critical angles and insights into the President's poetry which the casual reader might initially overlook.Trade ReviewA triumph * * Telegraph * *Hilarious -- STEWART LEEThis is great * * Peter Serafinowicz * *I'm very highly educated. I know words, I know the best words -- DONALD TRUMP, Campaign rally, 30 Dec 2015

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Book SynopsisStatesman, pre-eminent leader and founder of the free world's then largest and most formidable trade union, Ernest Bevin was one of the greatest and most inspirational figures of the twentieth century. Minister of Labour in the wartime coalition during the Second World War, he was at Churchill's right hand, masterminding the home front while the war supremo commanded the battle front. Following the war, he was Foreign Secretary at one of the most pivotal moments of international history, responsible for keeping Stalin and communism out of Western Europe, and for creating West Germany, NATO and the transatlantic alliance, all of which underpin European democracy and security to this day. Born into abject poverty, an orphan farm boy from Bristol with virtually no formal education, Bevin's remarkable rise to fame and power is unmatched by any leader to this day. In this insightful and wide-ranging new biography, Andrew Adonis examines how 'the working-class John Bull' grew to a position of such authority, and offers a critical reassessment of Bevin's life and influence. Skilfully bringing to life this extraordinary figure, Adonis explores Bevin's powerful legacy and lessons for our own age, restoring this charismatic statesman to his rightful place among the pantheon of Britain's greatest political leaders.Trade Review"An excellent book which rescues Bevin from 'the condescension of posterity', capturing an extraordinary political figure." - Gordon Brown "Far more people, in my experience, have heard of Bevan than Bevin. Luckily, with this timely biography, Andrew Adonis restores Bevin to his rightful place as not only a Labour Party legend but a giant of twentieth-century history. In this brilliant and most entertaining portrait, Adonis demonstrates the qualities of historian and experienced politician that have made him one of the most quotable commentators of the day." - William Keegan, senior economics commentator, The Observer "Adonis brilliantly captures Bevin's creative genius, propagandist skill and sheer chutzpah." - John Bercow "A biography brimming with colour and insight that brings both the character of the man and his many achievements vividly to life." - Andrew Rawnsley, The Observer "Andrew Adonis writes rivetingly." - Alan Johnson, The Spectator "As a reintroduction to a forgotten giant this is a fine work... Someone should definitely slip a copy of this book into Keir Starmer's backpack." -Robert Shrimsley, FT "Bevin's extraordinary origins and path to politics are captured beautifully in Adonis's account." - Stewart Wood, The Oldie

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Book SynopsisAs the Donald makes his second bid for a second term in the White House, gird yourself for the possibility of another four years of President Trump with this charming introduction to the man and his world . . . _________'When Donald won the election, he did not believe it. This election was a bad, unfair election, said Donald, about the election that he won. One day, Donald might lose an election. He will not like that election at all. And when Donald is told it is time to stop being the President, who knows what exciting things will happen next?'_________'Anyone can grow up to become the President. Or they can become President first and think about growing up later.'_________This delightful book is the latest in the series of Ladybird books which have been specially planned to help grown-ups with the world about them. Something the President himself could do with. The large clear script, the careful choice of words, the frequent repetition and the thoughtful matching of text with pictures all enable grown-ups to think they have taught themselves to cope. Featuring original Ladybird artwork alongside brilliantly funny, brand new text. Praise for The Story of Brexit:'Hilarious' Stylist'One of the Best Comedy Books of 2018' The List'The latest offering in the hilarious Ladybird for Grown Ups series is a funny mickey-take of the Brexit debate (and boy, do we need some fun)' Sunday PostTrade ReviewPraise for The Story of Brexit * - *One of the Best Comedy Books of 2018 * The List *The latest offering in the hilarious Ladybird for Grown Ups series is a funny mickey-take of the Brexit debate (and boy, do we need some fun) * Sunday Post *Hilarious * Stylist *

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Book SynopsisTHE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERA SUNDAY TIMES, THE TIMES, ECONOMIST, DAILY TELEGRAPH, EVENING STANDARD, OBSERVER BOOK OF THE YEAR''Undoubtedly the best single-volume life of Churchill ever written'' Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday TimesA magnificently fresh and unexpected biography of Churchill, by one of Britain''s most acclaimed historiansWinston Churchill towers over every other figure in twentieth-century British history. By the time of his death at the age of 90 in 1965, many thought him to be the greatest man in the world.There have been over a thousand previous biographies of Churchill. Andrew Roberts now draws on over forty new sources, including the private diaries of King George VI, used in no previous Churchill biography to depict him more intimately and persuasively than any of its predecessors. The book in no way conceals Churchill''s faults and it allows the reader to appreciate his virtues and character in full: his titanic capacity for work (and drink), his ability see the big picture, his willingness to take risks and insistence on being where the action was, his good humour even in the most desperate circumstances, the breadth and strength of his friendships and his extraordinary propensity to burst into tears at unexpected moments. Above all, it shows us the wellsprings of his personality - his lifelong desire to please his father (even long after his father''s death) but aristocratic disdain for the opinions of almost everyone else, his love of the British Empire, his sense of history and its connection to the present.During the Second World War, Churchill summoned a particular scientist to see him several times for technical advice. ''It was the same whenever we met'', wrote the young man, ''I had a feeling of being recharged by a source of living power.'' Harry Hopkins, President Roosevelt''s emissary, wrote ''Wherever he was, there was a battlefront.'' 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.''Trade ReviewThis 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 *The best single-volume life imaginable -- Simon Heffer * Sunday Telegraph *It's the sort of biography that, one feels, Churchill himself would have wanted. Colossal, energetic, deeply knowledgeable, properly critical, but also sympathetic and, in places, deliciously funny -- Noel Malcolm * Sunday Telegraph *An original portrait of an all-too-familiar figure ... He enriches the saga with wonderful examples of Churchill's aristocratic eccentricity, glittering oratory and wit -- Piers Brendon * Literary Review *Roberts has produced a more complete picture of his subject than any previous biography. His certainly knocks into a cocked hat Boris Johnson's boisterously self-referential effort of a few years ago * Economist *A stupendous achievement: lucid, erudite, intelligent, but also inspiring. Roberts catches the imperishable grandeur of Churchill's life as no other historian has done -- Daniel Johnson * Standpoint *As Andrew Roberts reminds us in this epic biography ... Churchill's career provides ample proof that fact can be far more extraordinary than fiction -- Nick Rennison * Daily Mail *A work of unequalled scholarship. Read it and you will not have to bother with the previous 1,000 biographies -- Paul Routledge * Tablet *A heroic biography, appropriately matched to the ambition, egotism and undoubted achievement of the life it describes -- John Campbell * Finest Hour *Brilliant, 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 *In 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

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Book SynopsisWinner of the British Book Awards History Book of the YearLonglisted for the Samuel Johnson PrizeThis thrilling biography of Stalin and his entourage during the terrifying decades of his supreme power transforms our understanding of Stalin as Soviet dictator, Marxist leader and Russian tsar. Based on groundbreaking research, Simon Sebag Montefiore reveals in captivating detail the fear and betrayal, privilege and debauchery, family life and murderous cruelty of this secret world. Written with extraordinary narrative verve, this magnificent feat of scholarly research has become a classic of modern history writing. Showing how Stalin''s triumphs and crimes were the product of his fanatical Marxism and his gifted but flawed character, this is an intimate portrait of a man as complicated and human as he was brutal and chilling.Trade ReviewOne of the two outstanding books of the year ... the most civilised and elegant chronicle of brutality and ruthlessness I have ever read, its prose cool and clear but never indifferent * DAILY TELEGRAPH *Horrific, revelatory and sobering ... triumph of research and should be required reading in Russia. Book of the Year -- John Le Carre * OBSERVER *This grim masterpiece, shot through with lashes of black humour ... The personal details are riveting -- Antonia Fraser * MAIL ON SUNDAY *Fascinating ... [Montefiore] concentrates, as any good historian should, on pushing forward the boundaries of our knowledge of the subject ... [He] provides rich detail of daily life and family relationships in a world of human values turned inside out ... scrupulously fair in the way he describes Stalin's qualities - including his ability to charm, his uncanny grasp of geopolitical issues, his brilliant handling of foreign statesmen and his genuine passion for literature -- Antony Beevor * SUNDAY TIMES *Masterful and terrifying account of Stalin ... seldom has the picture been put in finer focus than by Sebag Montefiore. It is partly through his diligent interviews with the children of survivors and his admirable combination of history and gossip that one sees the awful banality, the brutal crudity of the men who carelessly sent so many millions to their senseless deaths * THE TIMES *This magnificent portrait ... Montefiore has mined the rich veins of recent Russian writing on the Stalin age and of newly opened archives to give us an intimate history ... The stifling, contiguous life of the Soviet elite in and around the Kremlin is wonderfully conveyed, in some of the most striking and literary passages in the book ... A wonderfully rich and vibrant portrait of the Stalinist elite who lived in the shadow of a remarkable and dangerous colossus * LITERARY REVIEW *Read it or face social Siberia ... a cross-over success. Academically and intellectually rigorous, it's also a riveting read ... it takes a great writer to make it seem fresh. And Sebag Montefiore certainly does that ... his greatest achievement has been to "humanise" Stalin. Uncle Joe was a mass murderer and a paranoid sociopath. But he was also charming, friendly and flirtatious -- 100 Best Things in the World Right Now * GQ *Grimly brilliant -- Andrew Marr * DAILY TELEGRAPH *Excellent ... This book is like a vast Russian novel full of characters, colour, terror, passion and treachery ... love affairs, marriages, divorces, imprisonments and killings -- Susannah Tarbush * AL-HAYAT *Montefiore has managed to get inside the mind of the 20th century's worst mass murderer. What he has found there will affect your view of human nature ... a thoughtful book of first-class scholarship as well as a transfixing narrative ... vividly recreated by Montefiore's caustically witty prose -- Andrew Roberts * DAILY TELEGRAPH *Its extraordinary revelation of the evil - the complete amorality - at the heart of the dictator's court will change the way historians approach the great historical questions about the Stalinist regime -- Orlando Figes * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *Montefiore drives his story forward with breathless enthusiasm ... in a work of great importance. Scholars will read it for the valuable new evidence it assembles. Others will enjoy it as a fascinating page-turner and an everyday saga of extraordinary Kremlin folk * FINANCIAL TIMES *Gripping and timely ... [Montefiore] had the bright idea of examining the letters, telegrams and diaries of [Stalin's] intimate associates. As a result, this is a book based on extraordinary primary research ... one of the few recent books on Stalinism that will be read in years to come. The devil is in the detail * GUARDIAN *An extraordinary book... he has managed to persuade a whole generation of little old ladies and elderly men - the wives, granddaughters, servants, nieces and nephews of Stalin's henchmen - to give him a series of extraordinary interviews and, in some cases, lend him their hand-written memoirs... For anyone fascinated by the nature of evil - and by the effects of absolute power on human relationships - this book will provide new insights on every page -- Anne Applebaum * EVENING STANDARD *Montefiore's STALIN, I should imagine, will be the standard work on this twentieth-century monster for years to come -- Jeremy Paxman * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *The most revealing account of the inner circles of tyranny since Albert Speer's inside story of Hitler's bunker. Book of the Year * EVENING STANDARD *Enlivened by sharp pen portraits and grisly anecdotes, Montefiore's study ... was admired for its elegant prose as well as its grotesque cavalcade of monsters -- Books of the Year * THE WEEK *Brings alive that many-sided monster ... the first book that has given me grounds for thinking it might be possible to understand how Stalin got away with his enormities * SPECTATOR *Montefiore's masterful study of Stalin and his entourage provides the best personal portrait to date of the man and his group * JEWISH CHRONICLE *Enormously readable and even grimly amusing ... the details of the cruelty and depravity ... are incredible -- Miriam Gross * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *One of the two outstanding books of the year ... the most civilised and elegant chronicle of brutality and ruthlessness I have ever read, its prose cool and clear but never indifferent -- Ruth Rendell * Daily Telegraph *Horrific, revelatory and sobering ... triumph of research and should be required reading in Russia. Book of the Year -- John Le Carré * Observer *This grim masterpiece, shot through with lashes of black humour ... The personal details are riveting -- Antonia Fraser * Mail on Sunday *Fascinating ... [Montefiore] concentrates, as any good historian should, on pushing forward the boundaries of our knowledge of the subject ... [He] provides rich detail of daily life and family relationships in a world of human values turned inside out ... scrupulously fair in the way he describes Stalin's qualities - including his ability to charm, his uncanny grasp of geopolitical issues, his brilliant handling of foreign statesmen and his genuine passion for literature -- Antony Beevor * Sunday Times *Masterful and terrifying account of Stalin ... seldom has the picture been put in finer focus than by Sebag Montefiore. It is partly through his diligent interviews with the children of survivors and his admirable combination of history and gossip that one sees the awful banality, the brutal crudity of the men who carelessly sent so many millions to their senseless deaths -- Alistair Horne * The Times *This magnificent portrait ... Montefiore has mined the rich veins of recent Russian writing on the Stalin age and of newly opened archives to give us an intimate history ... The stifling, contiguous life of the Soviet elite in and around the Kremlin is wonderfully conveyed, in some of the most striking and literary passages in the book ... A wonderfully rich and vibrant portrait of the Stalinist elite who lived in the shadow of a remarkable and dangerous colossus -- Richard Overy * Literary Review *Read it or face social Siberia ... a cross-over success. Academically and intellectually rigorous, it's also a riveting read ... it takes a great writer to make it seem fresh. And Sebag Montefiore certainly does that ... his greatest achievement has been to "humanise" Stalin. Uncle Joe was a mass murderer and a paranoid sociopath. But he was also charming, friendly and flirtatious -- 100 Best Things in the World Right Now * GQ Magazine *Grimly brilliant -- Andrew Marr * Daily Telegraph *Excellent ... This book is like a vast Russian novel full of characters, colour, terror, passion and treachery ... love affairs, marriages, divorces, imprisonments and killings -- Susannah Tarbush * Al-Hayat *Montefiore has managed to get inside the mind of the 20th century's worst mass murderer. What he has found there will affect your view of human nature ... a thoughtful book of first-class scholarship as well as a transfixing narrative ... vividly recreated by Montefiore's caustically witty prose -- Andrew Roberts * Daily Telegraph *Its extraordinary revelation of the evil - the complete amorality - at the heart of the dictator's court will change the way historians approach the great historical questions about the Stalinist regime -- Orlando Figes * Sunday Telegraph *Montefiore drives his story forward with breathless enthusiasm ... in a work of great importance. Scholars will read it for the valuable new evidence it assembles. Others will enjoy it as a fascinating page-turner and an everyday saga of extraordinary Kremlin folk -- Rodric Braithwaite * Financial Times *Gripping and timely ... [Montefiore] had the bright idea of examining the letters, telegrams and diaries of [Stalin's] intimate associates. As a result, this is a book based on extraordinary primary research ... one of the few recent books on Stalinism that will be read in years to come. The devil is in the detail -- Robert Service * Guardian *An extraordinary book... he has managed to persuade a whole generation of little old ladies and elderly men - the wives, granddaughters, servants, nieces and nephews of Stalin's henchmen - to give him a series of extraordinary interviews and, in some cases, lend him their hand-written memoirs... For anyone fascinated by the nature of evil - and by the effects of absolute power on human relationships - this book will provide new insights on every page -- Anne Applebaum * Evening Standard *Montefiore's STALIN, I should imagine, will be the standard work on this twentieth-century monster for years to come -- Jeremy Paxman * Sunday Telegraph *The most revealing account of the inner circles of tyranny since Albert Speer's inside story of Hitler's bunker. Book of the Year -- Norman Lebrecht * Evening Standard *Enlivened by sharp pen portraits and grisly anecdotes, Montefiore's study ... was admired for its elegant prose as well as its grotesque cavalcade of monsters -- Books of the Year * The Week *Brings alive that many-sided monster ... the first book that has given me grounds for thinking it might be possible to understand how Stalin got away with his enormities -- David Pryce-Jones * Spectator *Montefiore's masterful study of Stalin and his entourage provides the best personal portrait to date of the man and his group -- Daniel Beer * Jewish Chronicle *Enormously readable and even grimly amusing ... the details of the cruelty and depravity ... are incredible -- Miriam Gross * Sunday Telegraph *I'm currently reading Simon Sebag-Montefiore's excellent biography of the Soviet monster [Stalin] 'the Court of the Red Czar' which I heartily recommend -- Matthew Gwyther * MANAGEMENT TODAY *

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Book SynopsisThe political ambitions of the movement behind Bernie Sanders have never been limited to winning the White House. Since Bernie first entered the presidential primaries in 2016, his supporters have worked to organize a revolution intended to encourage the active participation of millions of ordinary people in political life. In Bigger than Bernie, activist writers Meagan Day and Micah Uetricht give us an intimate map of this movement to remake American politics top to bottom, profiling the grassroots organizers who are building something bigger, and more ambitious, than the career of any one candidate. As participants themselves, Day and Uetricht provide a serious analysis of the prospects for long-term change, offering a strategy for making "political revolution" more than just a campaign slogan. They provide a road map for how to entrench democratic socialism in the halls of power and in our own lives.This new edition offers unmatched insights into the people behind the most unique campaign in modern American history and explores how the political revolution has been re-tooled for a time of economic crisis and pandemic.Trade ReviewAn indispensable guide to twenty-first-century socialism from the viewpoint of clear-eyed,sharp-witted, smart, funny authors . They give me hope! -- Jane McAlevey, author of A Collective Bargain"Part history lesson, part guidebook; this is a love letter to the everyday people and movementswho transformed this country. Bigger than Bernie isn't just about the man who's spent themajority of his political career on the fringes. It's about fighters. It's about thinkers. It's aboutlove. It's about us." -- Phillip Agnew, Cofounder of the Dream DefendersAn exhilarating account of what we'll be doing in the coming years. Anyone who thinks, withdread or relief, that the work comes to an end after Election Day in 2020 will think again. I'mgoing to keep coming back to them and their book -- Corey Robin, author of The Enigma of Clarence ThomasBigger than Bernie is a comprehensive and necessary read . an essential roadmap forachieving permanent change, and an energizing account that brings socialism into the presenttense. -- RoseAnn DeMoro, former Executive Director of National Nurses UnitedUrgent and essential . no one could better capture the promise and perils of this once-in-a-generation moment. I try never to miss a word that they write, and you shouldn't either. -- Krystal Ball, cohost of Rising on HillTVDay and Uetricht are two of the most brilliant and courageous intellectuals of the Sandersmovement. This indispensable book is a powerful, pioneering analysis of these new radicaltimes and a compelling vision of where it all might be going -- Cornel West, author of Race Matters

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Book SynopsisOutlines the author's philosophy for implementing peaceful world change and provides a model for activists everywhere through stories of his own experience toppling dictatorships (peacefully) and of smaller examples of social change (like Occupy Wall Street or fighting for gay rights).

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERAn outstanding exposé of Putin and his criminal pals [A] long-awaited, must read book' SUNDAY TIMESBooks about modern Russia abound Belton has surpassed them all. Her much-awaited book is the best and most important on modern Russia' THE TIMESA chilling and revelatory expose of the KGB's renaissance, Putin's rise to power, and how Russian black cash is subverting the world.In Putin's People, former Moscow correspondent and investigative journalist Catherine Belton reveals the untold story of how Vladimir Putin and his entourage of KGB men seized power in Russia and built a new league of oligarchs.Through exclusive interviews with key inside players, Belton tells how Putin's people conducted their relentless seizure of private companies, took over the economy, siphoned billions, blurred the lines between organised crime and political powers, shut down opponents, and then used their riches and power to extend influence in the West.In a story that ranges from Trade Review‘This is the most remarkable account so far of Putin’s rise … Groundbreaking … several hair-raising revelations … Relentless and convincing. There are gobsmacking moments … This is a superb book’OBSERVER ‘A fearless, fascinating account … Reads at times like a John le Carré novel… A groundbreaking and meticulously researched anatomy of the Putin regime, Belton’s book shines a light on the pernicious threats Russian money and influence now pose to the west’GUARDIAN ‘Modern Russia in full, horrifying technicolour … this riveting, immaculately researched book is arguably the best single volume written about Putin, the people around him and perhaps even about contemporary Russia itself in the past three decades’PETER FRANKOPAN, FINANCIAL TIMES ‘Books about modern Russia abound … Belton has surpassed them all. Her much-awaited book is the best and most important on modern Russia. It benefits from a meticulous compilation of open sources, but also from the accounts of disillusioned Kremlin insiders, former business cronies and some remarkably candid people still high up in the system. The result is hair-raising.’THE TIMES ‘An outstanding exposé of Putin and his criminal pals … [A] long-awaited, must read book’ SUNDAY TIMES ‘Arguably the biggest story of the 21st century so far. In forensically unravelling it, journalist Catherine Belton has done a great service, producing a book that western experts on modern Russia acknowledge as vital to our understanding of the Putin phenomenon’DAILY MAIL, BOOK OF THE WEEK ‘A serious, absolutely timely warning. No book has documented the Russian president’s leadership so indefatigably and compellingly’DAILY TELEGRAPH ‘Meticulously researched and superbly written; terrifying in its scope and utterly convincing in its argument … The Putin book that we've been waiting for’OLIVER BULLOUGH ‘An extraordinarily important book’CHRIS PATTEN

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Book SynopsisPatrick Maguire (Author) Patrick Maguire is a political columnist for The Times and senior political correspondent for Times Radio. He is a regular commentator on Labour politics for TV and radio and won the 2016 Anthony Howard Award for Young Journalists.Gabriel Pogrund (Author) Gabriel Pogrund is Whitehall Editor at the Sunday Times. He was named Journalist of the Year at the British Journalism Awards (2023). He won Scoop of the Year at the London Press Club Awards (2022) and was the Laurence Stern Fellow at the Washington Post in 2018.

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Book SynopsisNow with an all-new bonus chapter - in the bestselling The Kennedy Curse, 'James Patterson applies his writerly skills to real-life history . . . re-telling the political clan's rise and fall and rise again (and fall again) with novelistic style' (People). ________________________________Kennedys were always taught to win at all costs. And they did - but the price they paid was unimaginable . . .Across decades and generations, the Kennedys have been a family of charismatic adventurers, raised to take risks and excel. Their name is synonymous with American royalty. Their commitment to public service is legendary. But, for all the successes, the family has been blighted by assassinations, fatal accidents, drug and alcohol abuse and sex scandals. To this day, the Kennedys occupy a unique, contradictory place in the world's imagination: at once familiar and unknowable; charmed and cursed. The Kennedy Curse is a revealing, fascinating account of America's most famous family, as told by the world's most trusted storyteller.________________________________Also published as The House of Kennedy in the US.'When I wrote my first novel after several non-fiction works about politics, James Patterson lovingly lambasted me for infringing on his thriller territory. Now I know how he feels as he crosses into non-fiction politics with this juicy and entertaining look at a political family that continues to wield power and influence. He's too good - it isn't fair!' JAKE TAPPER, CNN anchor and author of The Hellfire ClubTrade ReviewWhen I wrote my first novel after several non-fiction works about politics, James Patterson lovingly lambasted me for infringing on his thriller territory. Now I know how he feels as he crosses into non-fiction politics with this juicy and entertaining look at a political family that continues to wield power and influence. He's too good – it isn't fair! -- JAKE TAPPER, CNN anchor and author of The Hellfire ClubJames Patterson applies his writerly skills to real-life history . . . re-telling the political clan's rise and fall and rise again (and fall again) with novelistic style. * People *It is the true history of 'American Royalty' told in the style of a gripping novel * Essential Marbella Magazine *Now with a new bonus chapter . . . told with all the power and verve of a thriller * Choice Magazine *

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisIn 1997, Tony Blair won the biggest Labour victory in history to sweep the party to power and end eighteen years of Conservative government. He remains the only living Labour leader to have won a general election.He has been one of the most dynamic leaders of modern times; few British prime ministers have shaped the nation''s course as profoundly as Blair during his ten years in power, and his achievements and his legacy will be debated for years to come.His memoirs reveal in intimate detail this unique political and personal journey, providing an insight into the man, the politician and the statesman, and charting successes, controversies and disappointments with an extraordinary candour.A Journey will prove essential and compulsive reading for anyone who wants to understand the complexities of our global world. As an account of the nature and uses of power, it will also have a readership that extends well beyond politics, to all those who want to understand the challenges of leadership today.Trade ReviewWritten in a congenial style peppered with slang and gossipy asides. At one moment he is the bloke in the pub. The next, he is Churchill -- Ben MacIntyre * The Times *This is a more honest political memoir than most and more open in many respects than I had anticipated. He is compellingly candid about how scared he was when he first became prime minister . . . He is unusually direct about his calculations, even when they don't reflect well on him . . . He admits to stretching the truth beyond `breaking point' to secure a settlement in Northern Ireland. Even when the lies are told in a noble cause, few politicians are honest enough to admit that they sometimes feel compelled to be deceivers -- Andrew Rawnsley * The Observer *He is by turns outspoken, provocative, unrepentant, often serious, sometimes funny -- David Frost * Al Jazeera *Tony Blair's memoir is part psychodrama, part treatise on the frustrations of leadership in a modern democracy . . . The book's broader purpose is to preserve his legacy, settling scores, justifying the war against Iraq, and mounting a defiant plea to his party to keep faith with New Labour . . . Blair comes across as likable, if manipulative; capable of dissembling while wonderfully fluent; in short, a brilliant modern politician -- Lionel Barber * Financial Times *Will certainly become a bestseller -- Robert McCrum * The Observer *

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Book SynopsisRead the inspiring Sunday Times bestselling memoir from the first woman, and woman of colour, to serve as Vice President of the United States.'A life story that genuinely entrances' Los Angeles TimesThe daughter of immigrants and civil rights activists, Vice President Kamala Harris was raised in a California community that cared deeply about social justice. As she rose to prominence as a political leader, her experiences would become her guiding light as she grappled with an array of complex issues and learned to bring a voice to the voiceless.Now, in The Truths We Hold, Harris reckons with the big challenges we face together. Drawing on the hard-won wisdom and insight from her own career and the work of those who have most inspired her, she communicates a vision of shared struggle, shared purpose, and shared values as we confront the great work of our day.'Personal integrity shines through every page' ObserverTrade ReviewA fascinating insight into a remarkable career -- Clare Fulton * Scotsman, *Christmas Gift Guide 2021* *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE EDWARD STANFORD PRIZE FOR FICTION WITH A SENSE OF PLACE''His confident, spellbinding prose is jewelled with uncanny details, gliding along in language that strikes, unsettles, and reawakens at every turn...This is a brilliant book'' Maya C. Popa''Cool and controlled...Electrifying...Reading Rupert Thomson novels can easily become an obsession'' The Times--------Set on the eve of the financial crash of 2008, Barcelona Dreaming is made up of three stories that are linked by time and place, and also by the moving, unexpected interactions of a rich cast of characters.The stories are narrated, in turn, by an English woman who runs a gift shop, an alcoholic jazz pianist, and a translator tormented by unrequited love, all of whose lives will be changed forever. Underpinning the novel, and casting a long shadow, is a crime committed against a young Moroccan immigrant.Exploring themTrade ReviewElegant and electrifying. Thomson's prose is sparse, yet so highly charged that I couldn't stop reading. I love all his novels - but this one is my new favourite. * Andrea Wulf *I don't know how Rupert Thomson does it. Each novel he writes is a new vision of a new world; he's the least predictable, the most surprising of writers. Barcelona Dreaming is set in that city, and it seems as if Thomson knows every corner of it, and every kind of human being who might live there. My astonishment is only surpassed by my admiration. * Philip Pullman, author of the bestselling His Dark Materials trilogy *The three stories in Barcelona Dreaming are connected by ingeniously created threads, but also by a tone that is ironic, observant, alert to the complexity of the characters' motives and desires. The book is set in the modern city of Barcelona, its atmosphere invoked with intimate knowledge and a matchless sense of place. * Colm Tóibín, New York Times bestselling author of Brooklyn and The Master *I wonder if I've ever sat so intimately alongside characters in a story. Rupert Thomson has so brought this writing to life I can literally feel it on my skin. Save yourself the airfare: your new friends in Barcelona live right here * DBC Pierre *What a haunting book. I didn't want to finish it...The stories have stayed with me as if they are actually memories...Extraordinary * Kitty Aldridge *Thomson is at his full powers in this 13th captivating novel. He reaffirms his gift for writing on place, bringing Barcelona vividly and complexly to life for a travel-starved pandemic audience. His confident , spellbinding prose is jewelled with uncanny details, gliding along in language that strikes, unsettles, and reawakens at every turn. This is a brilliant book. * Maya C. Popa *Barcelona Dreaming is a wonderful book, a phantasmal hymn to a city and a lost way of life * Alex Preston, New York Times *The supremely sensuous rendering of Barcelona itself is superb * Daily Mail *Rupert Thomson's Barcelona Dreaming tells three lightly interlinked stories of residents of the city on the eve of the financial crash of 2008. Thomson conjures up a fascinating cast of beautiful people with complicated lives who've lost a lot and have more to lose. * The Gloss Magazine *'I was captured by Barcelona Dreaming' * Irish Times Books of the Year 2021 *'The next best thing to actually moving to the Catalan capital' -- Rob Doyle * The Sunday Times *'What a book! So deft, and oblique, and mysterious, and vivid. I absolutely loved it.' (ONLY USE FOR PRESS RELEASE) -- Gwendoline Riley

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Book SynopsisDavid Owen analyses and describes the mental and physical condition of political leaders past and present. The prospects for both Trump and Johnson are assessed incisively by David Owen and the book is an essential read for all students of politics and psychology of world leaders.

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Book Synopsis'Everything a manifesto should be: heartfelt, hectoring, impassioned, rousing.' The i__________________________________________________'Your country needs you. Your world needs you. Your time is now.'Our politics is a mess. Leaders who can't or shouldn't be allowed to lead. Governments that lie, and seek to undermine our democratic values. It's no surprise that so many of us feel frustrated, let down and drawn to ask, 'But what can I do?'That question is the inspiration behind this book. It's a question regularly posed to Alastair Campbell, not least in reaction to The Rest is Politics, the chart-topping podcast he presents with Rory Stewart. His answer, typically, is forthright and impassioned. We cannot afford to stand on the sidelines. If we think things need to change, then we need to change them, and that means getting involved.But What Can I Do? provides each of us with the motivation and the tools to effect change for the better. It draws on Alastair's long experience to offer practical tips on putting together and leading a campaign team. It provides priceless advice on developing confidence and coping with criticism and setbacks. And it sets out the practical steps by which we can become political players ourselves. Part call to arms, part practical handbook, But What Can I Do? will prove required reading for anyone who wants to make a difference.

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Book SynopsisReaching for Utopia brings together insightful essays and profiles chronicling the remarkable political and cultural transformations of the last decade – from the fall of Gordon Brown, to the rise of Corbyn and the radical left, to Brexit. Cowley is fascinated by the men and women who are creating the history of our era as well as those who document it. He has met and interviewed nearly all the major political players shaping and changing the way we live today.The book features fascinating, wide-ranging narrative profiles of Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Ed Miliband, Jeremy Corbyn, Alex Salmond, Nigel Farage, David Cameron, George Osborne and Theresa May. Cowley is unusual in having access to party leaders and prime ministers on both the left and right.The book also features penetrating essays on writers such as George Orwell, John le Carré, Kazuo Insiguro, and Ian McEwan, personal essays, an investigation into the so-called Brexit Murder, and a striking conversation with the political philosopher Michael Sandel.Cowley is one of the most influential journalists in Britain. He is notable for being both a political and literary journalist. And he also writes about sport, especially football, and covered the 2006 World Cup in Germany for the Observer.He has been widely credited with transforming the fortunes of the New Statesman, which in 2017 has recorded its highest print circulation for nearly 40 years as well as becoming a major digital title with rapidly growing online profile. According to the European Press Prize, ‘Cowley has succeeded in revitalising the New Statesman and re-establishing its position as an influential political and cultural weekly. He has given the New Statesman an edge and a relevance to current affairs it hasn't had for years.’In 2017, at the British Society of Magazine Editors awards, Cowley won the editor of the year award (politics and current affairs) for the third time. In 2018, he launched New Statesman America.Trade ReviewThe subtitle for this collection of essays, profiles and interviews by New Statesman editor Jason Cowley is “making sense of an age of upheaval” and largely he succeeds. The section on politics and power is fascinating. Cowley is determined to understand antagonists, to explain the dominant individuals shaping our era. The likes of Arsène Wenger, Tiger Woods, Kazuo Ishiguro and Ian McEwan are explored in the Lives and Letters collection, too, making for a well-rounded collection by a thoughtful and engaging writer. -- Ben East * The Observer *A distinctly superior book … Cowley's thoughtful style is a pleasure to read. He has proved himself the rightful heir of the great Victorians. -- Simon Heffer * The Telegraph *These finely woven and open-minded essays have a dark stream trickling through them: of loss, chances missed, past success fading and no longer giving solace. This elegiac strain of regret, disappointment and intimations of mortality is invoked by, or attributed to, most of the public men and women profiled by Jason Cowley in Reaching for Utopia. -- John Lloyd * Financial Times *In their uncertain but foreboding style, the Jesus and Mary Chain once sang of how heaven is too close to hell. It’s not entirely clear what they were inferring, but it remains an intriguing image. A reading of Jason Cowley’s artful new book might lead us to conclude that utopia and dystopia share a similarly close proximity. Strive for the former and you may well end in the latter. Amongst a range of issues covered in this collection of profiles and essays, it is the unyielding pursuit of an unachievable utopia, an overstretching for something better, that is set as the frame. It is here that some understanding of our present malaise might be found in the fragments of recent history. -- David Beer * Berfrois *The strength of this outstanding essay collection lies in Cowley’s access to the key players in British politics, his considerable powers of social and political analysis and his excellent prose style. -- David Patrikarakos * Prospect Magazine *

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Book SynopsisBoris Johnson, the UK's new Prime Minister, has ruled out holding an early general election. But, as we've seen, anything can happen in today's politics. There are few politicians who could genuinely be described as a phenomenon. Boris Johnson is undoubtedly one. With a shake of that foppish blond mop, a glimmer of his madcap smile and the voice of a demented public school boy, Boris provides comedy gold every time he opens his erudite mouth. The allure of this blundering rapscallion to many on the Tory benches and to the membership of the Conservative Party at large is all too obvious. He says what few others will say in public and, indeed, he will do so on the record - appearing to care little what people think of him or his views. This book is big on fun, comedy, life and spirit. Containing a selection of the very finest Boris-isms and illustrated by specially commissioned cartoons, The Big Book of Boris is a highly amusing read, straight from the gaffe-strewn mouth of Britain's most colourful politician.

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Book SynopsisAlex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon's political partnership changed the face of Scotland, bringing the country to within 200,000 votes of independence and holding sway at Holyrood for more than a decade. So how and why has their thirty-year alliance irretrievably broken down? Break-Up tells the inside story of how the once unbreakable unity of the Scottish National Party was ripped apart amid shocking claims of sexual assault. With unrivalled access to both camps and the women who made the allegations, and with rigorously fair-minded reporting, journalists David Clegg and Kieran Andrews go behind the headlines to uncover the truth about this extraordinary episode, in a piece of political history that reads like a thriller. Now fully updated, this is a jaw-dropping tale of inappropriate behaviour in the highest reaches of power, of lies, distrust and alleged conspiracy, with profound implications not only for Salmond and Sturgeon themselves but for Scotland's governing party and the wider independence campaign.Trade Review"A gripping story of power games and hubris" The Observer

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Book SynopsisThebrilliant account of the Nixon era, from his 1968 election to his spectacular 1974 demise, now in paperback.Trade Review"A richly detailed descent into the inferno -- that is, the years when Richard Milhous Nixon, 'a serial collector of resentments,' ruled the land." -- Kirkus Reviews"Nixonland is a grand historical epic. Rick Perlstein has turned a story we think we know -- American politics between the opposing presidential landslides of 1964 and 1972 -- into an often surprising and always fascinating new narrative. This riveting book, full of colorful detail and great characters, brings back to life an astonishing era -- and shines a new light on our own." -- Jeffrey Toobin author of The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court"This is a terrific read. What a delight it is to discover the new generation of historians like Rick Perlstein not only getting history correct but giving us all fresh insights and understanding of it." -- John W. Dean Nixon's White House counsel"Rick Perlstein has written a fascinating account of the rise of Richard Nixon and a persuasive argument that this angry, toxic man will always be part of the American landscape." -- Richard Reeves author of President Reagan: The Triumph of Imagination"Rick Perlstein's Nixonland digs deep into a decisive period of our history and brings back a past that is all the scarier for its intense humanity. With a firm grasp on the larger meaning of countless events and personalities, many of them long forgotten, Perlstein superbly shows how paranoia and innuendo flowed into the mainstream of American politics after 1968, creating divisive passions that have survived for decades." -- Sean Wilentz Princeton University, author of The Age of Reagan: A History, 1974-2008"The best book written about the 1960s." -- Newsweek

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Book SynopsisChristopher de Bellaigue is the award-winning author of The Lion House: The Rise of Suleyman the Magnificent, which was chosen as a book of the year by The Times, Sunday Times, Spectator and New Yorker among others, as well as five previous books, including The Islamic Enlightenment, which was shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-fiction and the Orwell Prize for Political Writing in 2017. As a reporter he has covered war, politics, society and the environment in five continents for the Economist, the New York Review of Books, the Guardian 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. www.christopherdebellaigue.comTrade ReviewThere 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 -- ELIF SHAFAK, author of The Island of Missing TreesThe most daring history book of the year ... told in the present tense with all the dash and flair of a novel. The research is faultless: we are immersed ... it brilliantly conveys a sense of colour and momentum, placing the reader in the thick of the action. Unforgettable -- Dominic Sandbrook * The Times & Sunday Times Best Books of 2022 *This is history, but not as we know it. It is non-fiction posing as a novel, rich in incident and cinematic detail ... it's tremendous -- Justin Marozzi * Sunday Times *An urgent, immersive, present-tense gallop ... the book reads as a non-fiction novel ... 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 ... behind the bejewelled descriptive prose a thumping pulse of action tugs us through ... de Bellaigue's glittering, deft and often witty prose adds pleasure to each page * Financial Times *Luminous, erudite ... a gripping account that evokes an epic poem, saga or 'book of kings' ... It is as immersive as the blurb claims, 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 ... Even more than the detail, it is the characters that intrigue and often inspire ... The book leaves the reader with Suleiman truly magnificent * Spectator *Mesmerising . . . steeped in the sensuous detail of banquet and ceremony, stratagem and conspiracy -- Colin ThubronA brilliantly written account of the Ottoman empire in all its opulence and brutality. Rich in colourful historical anecdotes, de Bellaigue brings 16th-century statecraft vividly alive, and offers a chilling insight into the ruthlessness and loneliness of one of the most powerful men of the age * Guardian *A vivid, cinematic account of the rise of Suleyman the Magnificent ... de Bellaigue follows with exhilarating clarity and suspense 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, a place rife with intrigue and back-stabbing, rich with colourful characters -- Claire Messud * Harper's *Those 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 ... 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 ... a dazzling and dark work. Witty and often wise, it speaks to the frailties and the precarity of power -- David Aaronovitch * The Times *Vivid and compelling ... He presents his story like a novel, but it is not fiction; every detail has been diligently researched, 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 colourful, absurd and ironic ... As this book shows, living in the penumbra of such supreme power can be seductive and intoxicating. But the end of the story is often tragic * Economist *Wolf Hall for the Ottoman Empire ... History at its most gripping * Daily Telegraph *This account really grips... it does so by bringing out the fascinating individuals, the adventure, the lurid details, the barbarities, the opulence and squalor and near misses of the story -- Melanie McDonagh * Evening Standard *Poised effortlessly between two worlds and two ages, a book as pungent and mysterious as the age it depicts -- RORY STEWART, former British Cabinet Minister and author of The Places In BetweenA complex piece of history told with extraordinary clarity * Spectator, *Best Books of 2022* *Christopher de Bellaigue has a magic talent for writing history It is as if we are there as the era of Suleyman the Magnificent unfolds -- ORHAN PAMUK, Nobel Laureate in LiteratureEssential reading for anyone wishing to understand political ambition and the role of narcissistic leaders and scheming courtiers in any age -- ROBERT PESTON, Political Editor ITV NewsGripping, novelistic ... 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 ... [De Bellaigue] writes with supreme confidence about power, diplomacy, clothing, avarice, war, statecraft and the exceptional brutality of the era ... While The Lion House unfolds like a novel, through scenes rich with authenticating detail -- Marcel Theroux * The New York Times Book Review *De Bellaigue is a riveting and expert guide to the story of Suleyman's quest for power -- PETER FRANKOPAN, author of The Silk RoadsNarrated with a verve and flair that make the characters burst from the pages. Outstanding history and an incredibly good read -- EUGENE ROGAN, author of The Fall of the OttomansExquisite ... 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. The Lion House leaves 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 *Non-fiction with the readability of a thriller. Unputdownable -- VICTORIA HISLOP, author of The IslandSensuous and scholarly, meticulously researched and deliciously irreverent, The Lion House is an intoxicating journey through the Ottomans' golden age -- AMBERIN ZAMAN, correspondent, Al-Monitor, Turkey correspondent for the Economist (1999-2016) and Fellow of the Woodrow Wilson Center, Washington, DCReads like the most gripping fiction ... could very well be Netflix's next epic * Radio Times *The Lion House presents a historical universe that captivates and astonishes and is near-impossible to put down. A superb example of historical literature and research -- RICHARD WHATMORE, Professor of Modern History at the University of St AndrewsFull 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 -- KEREM OKTEM, Professor of International Relations at Ca' Foscari University, VeniceOriginal... de Bellaigue... offers a vivid presentation of events, re-imagined as scenes and episodes... a different, literary kind [of history] -- Noel Malcolm * Times Literary Supplement *De Bellaigue writes with impecable scholarship, piecing together contemporary accounts to create a thrilling narrative * Church Times *De Bellaigue is an expert stylist, sensitive to rhythm and vocabulary, and passionate in his pursuit of the fugitive detail that gives meaning to a whole episode * Literary Review *An exhilarating read -- Rose Shepherd * Saga Magazine *An engrossing book... This is history turned into drama and poetry, awesomely spectacular yet also intensely intimate -- Yasmin Alibhai-Brown * iNews *

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Book SynopsisA SUNDAY TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017''A brilliant, compelling, propulsively written, magnificent tour de force'' Simon Sebag Montefiore, Evening Standard''The second volume of what will surely rank as one of the greatest historical achievements of our age ... The War and Peace of history: a book you fear you will never finish, but just cannot put down'' Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times Well 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. What 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.Wholesale 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.Stalin 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.Stalin: Waiting for Hitler: 1929-1941 is, like its predecessor Stalin: Paradoxes of Power: 1878-1928, 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.Trade ReviewMasterly, a riveting tale, written with pace and aplomb. [of volume one] * New York Times *Exhilarating, 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 *Original, engaging, with a sharp, irreverent wit [of volume one] -- Sheila Fitzpatrick * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER'Galvanizing and uplifting' The Guardian'Bernie Sanders has changed US politics forever' Owen JonesIt's OK to be angry about capitalism. It's OK to want something better. Bernie Sanders takes on the 1% and speaks blunt truths about a system that is fuelled by uncontrolled greed, and rigged against ordinary people. Where a handful of oligarchs have never had it so good, with more money than they could spend in a thousand lifetimes, and the vast majority struggle to survive. Where a decent standard of living for all seems like an impossible dream.How can we accept an economic order that allows three billionaires to control more wealth than the bottom half of our society? How can we accept a political system that allows the super-rich to buy elections and politicians? How can we accept an energy system that rewards the fossil fuel corporations causing the climate crisis? How can we let it happen any longer? We must demand fundamental economic and political change. This is where the path forward begins.It's OK To Be Angry About Capitalism presents a vision of what would be possible if the political revolution took place. If we would finally recognize that economic rights are human rights, and work to create a society that provides them. This isn't some utopian fantasy; this is democracy as we should know it. Is it really too much to ask?Trade ReviewAn attack on the status quo from every conceivable direction ... galvanising and uplifting ... Precisely because Sanders is such a straightforward thinker and writer, he insists on some facts that the political establishment - on both sides - wilfully ignores. * The Guardian *I can't wait until everybody reads this book... it's like holding a little piece of hope in your hands. -- Emma DabiriBernie Sanders opens his latest book with a compelling thought: conventional wisdom says you get more conservative in politics as you grow older, but he finds himself going the opposite direction. The 81-year-old writes exactly how he speaks - with passion and in his signature blunt style ... The book embodies Sanders' politics. -- Prudence Wade * The Independent *Sanders lays forth a well-reasoned platform of programs to retool the American economy for greater equity ... the plutocrats might want to take cover. * Kirkus *Our favorite democratic socialist ... Yes, it is okay to be angry about capitalism, and it's even better to do something about it. -- Yaseen Al-Sheikh * Jacobin *A noble purpose ... a powerful new book. -- Charles Kaiser * The Guardian *Reality keeps endorsing Bernie Sanders. Pass it on. -- Naomi KleinA message of hope and courage - that collective action can rid the world of injustice. -- Owen JonesGives us a glimpse of what politics could be like. -- Yanis VaroufakisOnly Bernie Sanders can break the power of capitalism. -- Paul MasonA decent, honest person. It's pretty unusual in the political system. -- Noam ChomskySanders' success today shows that much of America is tired of rising inequality and these so-called political changes and intends to revive both a progressive agenda and the American tradition of egalitarianism. -- Thomas Piketty

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Book SynopsisAS FEATURED IN WATERSTONES BEST BOOKS OF 2023From bestselling author and beloved Guardian columnist John Crace comes a blisteringly hilarious tour through the whirlwind of post-Brexit Britain, from the ousting of Boris to the dawn of a new era . . . sort of. O brave new world, that has such people in't. Or not. William Shakespeare clearly had never imagined a clusterf*ck on this scale. Given the state of the country right now, he would be in need of a long lie down.Another month, another prime minister - how many have we been through now? But fear not: despite all the nonsense that has spewed forth from Westminster over the past two years, John Crace's brilliantly lacerating political sketches have provided the nation with some desperately needed relief.Taking in everything from Partygate, BoJo's drawn-out farewell and the disastrous reign of Liz Truss, to thepsychodrama of the Tory leadership contest(s), the return of Rishi Sunak and the shenanigans of his impressively inept colleagues, Depraved New World is a worryingly funny collection which captures British politics at its most absurd.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewLeaders 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 *Leaders 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 *Leadership, 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 *No 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 Leaders, 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 *Leaders 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! *Whenever 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. Leaders 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 *

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Book SynopsisBlockbusting film GOLDA starring Helen Mirren is out now''The gripping memoir of a remarkable woman who rose to the top in a man''s world. A compelling political story of courage and struggle, power and leadership, war and crisis - and the making of Israel. A classic of 20th century history'' Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of JERUSALEM: THE BIOGRAPHY''A remarkable, almost incredible personal history ... stimulating and fascinating'' IRISH TIMES''A rare and wholly unforgettable work'' SATURDAY REVIEWWITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY JULIA NEUBERGERGolda Meir was without doubt one of the most incredible women of her - and any - time. Born in 1898 in Kyiv, she was the daughter of an impoverished carpenter - and became the first (and only) female Prime Minister of Israel. Meir''s earliest memory is of her father boarding up the front door in response to rumours of an imminent pogrom. The family emigrated to the US and fTrade ReviewThe gripping memoir of a remarkable woman who rose to the top in a man's world. A compelling political story of courage and struggle, power and leadership, war and crisis - and the making of Israel. A classic of 20th century history -- Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of JERUSALEM: THE BIOGRAPHYA remarkable, almost incredible personal history ... stimulating and fascinating * IRISH TIMES *Remarkable ... a book to be read * SPECTATOR *A trailblazing leader ... her legacy and impact remain alive in the hearts and deeds of all those whom she inspired -- Hillary Rodham ClintonMany of us have long regarded Mrs Golda Meir as by far the most formidable woman leader in the public life of our times. This book proves it. It is an astonishing record of courage, iron determination and achievement ... compulsory reading and of absorbing interest * BOOKS AND BOOKMEN *A rare and wholly unforgettable work * SATURDAY REVIEW *A story of a girl cowering from a pogrom who grew up to pioneer a new state and become its prime minister must be fantastical. But it's not. Here, in her own passionate words, Golda Meir gives us the astonishing story of her life and of her role in the making of the nation that realized the 2,000 year-old dream of the Jewish people. -- Pamela S. Nadell, author of America’s Jewish Women: A History from Colonial Times to Today

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Book Synopsis**JOHN CRACE'S NEW BOOK DEPRAVED NEW WORLD IS AVAILABLE NOW**Infectiously entertaining political satire, from the author of Decline and Fail and I, Maybot.Throughout another year of bluster and bedlam in Westminster, John Crace's brilliantly acerbic political sketches have once more provided the nation with a much-needed injection of humour.In A Farewell to Calm, Crace introduces an infectiously funny selection of his finest pieces from 2020-21, taking in everything from a summer of unfathomable U-turns to Christmas Covid confusion, and from lockdown-lifting to Brexit blithering.Led by Boris's poundshop Churchill tribute act, and featuring a cast of everyone's least favourite pantomime villains, from Classic Dom Cummings to Door Matt Hancock, the end result is a brilliantly entertaining chronicle of another tumultuous year on these benighted islands.

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Book SynopsisIt is generally accepted that Queen Victoria reigned but did not rule. This couldn't be more wrong.

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Book SynopsisSir Winston Churchill remains a British hero, lauded for his oratorical skill. He wrote histories, biographies, memoirs, and even a novel, while his journalism, speeches and broadcasts run to millions of words. From 1940 he inspired and united the British people and guided their war effort. Behind the public figure, however, was a man of vast humanity and enormous wit. His most famous speeches and sayings have passed into history but many of his aphorisms, puns and jokes are less well known. This enchanting collection brings together hundreds of his wittiest remarks as a record of all that was best about this endearing, conceited, talented and wildly funny Englishman. Also available in the series:(9781782433651) The Wicked Wit of Queen Elizabeth II(9781782435426) The Wicked Wit of Oscar Wilde(9781782435662) The Wicked Wit of Jane Austen

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Book SynopsisWinston Churchill understood and wielded the power of words throughout his six decades in the public eye. His wartime writings and speeches revealed both his vision for the future and his own personal feelings, fascinating generation after generation with their powerful style and thoughtful reflection. In this book Churchill's official biographer, Martin Gilbert, has skilfully selected 200 extracts from his entire oeuvre of books, articles and speeches that reflect his life story, career and philosophy. From intimate memories of his childhood to his contributions to half a century of debates on war and social policy, we see how Churchill used words for different purposes: to argue for moral causes; to advocate action in the national and international spheres, and to tell of his own struggles, setbacks and achievements. Martin Gilbert's informed choice of extracts and his illuminating explanations linking them together create a compelling biography of Churchill as recounted in the great man's own inimitable words.

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Book SynopsisThe first volume in a pioneering account of Oliver Cromwell—providing a major new interpretation of one of the greatest figures in historyTrade Review“Mr. Hutton writes in a mellifluous style, and his mastery of the material, displayed most clearly in the book’s endnotes, is impressive.”—Barton Swaim, Wall Street Journal“Hutton is a distinguished historian of 17th-century England, and writes with dispassionate authority about the religious and political context of Cromwell’s early life. The result is an absorbing story of a man born into relative wealth and security, apparently lacking ambition yet with an impulsive, brooding temperament.”—Jerry Brotton, Financial Times“[Hutton] brings to this biography an acute sensitivity to the religious debates; and he has a feel for geography and landscape which enlivens the narrative throughout. He writes, as ever, with fluency and flair. . . . In Hutton’s account, we see the real measure of the man. . . . For an up-to-date view this book now leads the field.”—Michael Braddick, Times Literary Supplement“Hutton’s book is intelligent, well documented, and stylish.”—Keith Thomas, New York Review of Books“[Hutton] is incapable of writing a dull sentence. . . . No one can read this book without coming away with their understanding of Cromwell deeply enriched.”—John Adamson, Sunday Times“[Hutton] uses his deep knowledge of the period, and not a little wit, to ask the right questions and when no definitive answer can be given, as is often the case, teases out plausible explanations. He makes a virtue of this tentative, uncertain but enthralling process, inviting the reader into a shared experience of discovery.”—Paul Lay, Times (UK)“The Making of Oliver Cromwell had me spellbound. . . . The way in which [Hutton] weighs the evidence for each theory about the young Cromwell exhibits the finest aspects of the historian’s profession. . . . The product of a lifetime’s study, the book has changed my view of the Lord Protector.”—Andrew Roberts, BBC History Magazine, “Books of the Year”“With painstaking research and imaginative sympathy, Hutton recreates his world from the ground up . . . easing out the tensions between [Cromwell’s] deep religious faith and political ambition. A landmark biography and model of historical scholarship.”—Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times, “Books of the Year: History”“I loved The Making of Oliver Cromwell. . . . The drama is always vivid, with the 1644 battle of Marston Moor is a particular highlight; the evocation of the seasons beautifully done.”—Tom Holland, BBC History Magazine, “Books of the Year”“A compelling portrait of Oliver Cromwell’s early life and initial rise to power. . . . Lucid and propulsive.”—Niall Allsopp, Seventeenth-Century News“Hutton has produced a superb, coruscating, immensely stimulating profile of the rising Cromwell. The key questions about this singularly fascinating man—his role in the regicide, his Irish policy, his designs on the crown—cry out for a sequel. Hutton dangles the prospect—‘if I continue to deal with Cromwell’s life.’ Yes please.”—Jessie Childs, Daily Telegraph“Splendid. . . . [Cromwell’s] is a unique story of personal achievement in British history: the rise from obscure country gentleman to head of state. No one—not even Oliver’s distant ancestor Thomas, who rose from Putney publican’s son to Henry VIII’s right-hand man—ever made it as far. Hutton’s book concentrates on the years before this final leap was made.”—David Horspool, The Oldie“The pivotal figure of the 17th century features in The Making of Oliver Cromwell, which meticulously takes the Lord Protector’s story to 1645, showing how his gifts as a soldier equipped him for leadership.”—Simon Heffer, Daily Telegraph, “2021’s Best Histories”“The Making of Oliver Cromwell is radical, powerful and persuasive, and it will cause a stir. It stands as a landmark challenge to the hagiographical tendencies of some of the historiography. Hutton’s assertion that Cromwell is ‘definitely not somebody to be taken simply at his word’ is utterly convincing. Whether his callous and calculating Cromwell will supplant more sympathetic versions remains to be seen, but his book will surely set the terms of debate for years to come.”—Anna Keay, Literary Review“Ronald Hutton offers a compelling profile of the civil war leader whose actions—including his conquest of Ireland—remain controversial.”—History Revealed“This is a rich and immensely enjoyable book, and Hutton’s expert, sceptical eye ensures that the manifold contradictions and paradoxes of its subject are always kept in view. . . . As a military history of the English Civil War in which Cromwell is centred, this book is unlikely to be surpassed.”—Marcus Nevitt, Spectator“Excellent. . . . [Hutton] convinces even royalists of the extraordinary gifts of Cromwell.”—Harry Mount, Country Life“In this revelatory biography . . . Hutton’s persuasive treatment makes Cromwell both more comprehensible and more interesting.”—Michael Prodger, New Statesman“Hutton is a wonderful military historian; his account of the decisive Battle of Naseby is masterly. . . . Another distinctive aspect of Hutton’s narrative is a lyrical emphasis on the natural world in which the human action takes place. . . . At the close we are left with a far fuller picture of Cromwell the man.”—Melanie McDonagh, Catholic Herald“Hutton does not gloss over the warts of this complicated man. . . . Behind his readable, pacey prose, which should keep the non-specialist engaged, . . . is a lifetime of scholarly endeavour in this most violent period of the history of the British Isles.”—Judith Maltby, Church Times“[Hutton’s] analysis of Cromwell’s military campaigns is outstanding. He writes of great strategy with crystal clarity, and his battle narratives are vivid, imaginative and gripping.”—Neil Faulkner, Military History Matters“This is definitely not just another book on the only English commoner to become the overall head of state, but brilliantly seeks a new perspective and fresh assessment of his character. . . . [Hutton] uses his findings to analyse the enigma of Cromwell in a non-partisan, even-handed way, but does not simply take Cromwell at his word from documents.”—Don Smith, Battlefield Magazine“Parallels between Cromwell’s era and our turbulent times have inspired a flurry of recent studies. Ronald Hutton’s latest fascinatingly details his ascent from Huntingdon country gentleman . . . to Member of Parliament critical of king and established Church.”—Brian Cooper, Church of England Newspaper“Hutton’s biographical approach offers a fascinating study of a complex and flawed human being who did not seem destined for glory. Hutton portrays Cromwell as a man who made mistakes, who was able to manipulate situations to his own advantage, and who coupled this with genuine military skill and a zeal for his work.”—Charlotte Young, British Catholic HistoryChoice Outstanding Academic Title 2022“Excellent. Hutton combines outstanding story-telling with impressive analysis. For the first time he cuts through Cromwell’s earnest talk to the slyness. What emerges is something we have not had for a very long time—a really ‘fresh’ life of this major figure in British history.”—John Morrill, author of Oliver Cromwell and the English Revolution“Hutton has given us a rich and radical reassessment of Oliver Cromwell. Essential reading for all who wish to understand this towering figure and his turbulent times.”—Miranda Malins, author of The Puritan Princess“A gripping, often lyrical and sometimes waspish biography that succeeds brilliantly in its aim: making sense of the most complex and fascinating man in British history.”—Tom Holland, author of Dominion“A brilliantly fresh and original account of the early life of Oliver Cromwell. Powerfully written, stunningly well-researched and brimming with new insights and perspectives, Hutton’s book provides us with perhaps the most vivid and immediate portrait we have ever had of the future Lord Protector.”—Mark Stoyle, author of Soldier and Strangers

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Book SynopsisUnless you're a woman on Tinder between the ages of 19 and 30 in the Clapham area, or a high-end cocaine dealer operating in South West London, you probably won't have heard of Rafe Hubris, BA (Oxon). Despite that, he's a crucial figure in the life of our nation. As Boris Johnson's most classic special adviser (spad) at Number 10, he helped the UK government skilfully and efficiently control the Covid crisis, containing it for good by the end of 2020. In the first of what will doubtless be many memoirs as Rafe travels his own inevitable journey to the premiership, this fly-on-the-wall account documents his Year of 'Rona in its entirety (and iniquity). Even non-Oxbridge readers (for whom the author has taken care to keep his language as accessible as possible) will come away from this volume struck by how lucky we are to have him. Floreat Etona!* *Note for non-Oxbridge readers: this means 'May Eton flourish' in Latin.** **Latin is the language of Ancient Rome and its empire.Trade Review'A pitch-perfect send-up' Evening Standard; ‘A neat and perfectly observed skewering of not just the current administration, but the culture of over-familiar, self-important special advisers too’ Daily Telegraph; ‘I was left with the uneasy feeling that this wasn’t humour, this was a fly-on-the-wall documentary and the occupants of Downing Street had managed, somehow, to live down to what had seemed like outrageous satire. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry’. Peter Magee, The Bookbag

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Book SynopsisIn January 1928 Stalin, the ruler of the largest country in the world, boarded a train bound for Siberia where he would embark upon the greatest gamble of his political life. He was about to begin uprooting and collectivization of agriculture and industry across the entire Soviet Union. Millions would die, and many more would suffer. Where did such great, monstrous power come from? The first of three volumes, the product of a decade of intrepid research, this landmark book offers the most convincing explanation yet of Stalin''s power.Trade ReviewIn its size, sweep, sensitivity, and surprises, Stephen Kotkin's first volume on Stalin is a monumental achievement: the early life of a man we thought we knew, set against the world - no less - that he inhabited. It's biography on an epic scale. Only Tolstoy might have matched it -- John Lewis Gaddis (author of THE COLD WAR)Stalin has had more than his fair share of biographies. But Stephen Kotkin's wonderfully broad-gauged work surpasses them all in both breadth and depth, showing brilliantly how the man, the time, the place, its history, and especially Russian/Soviet political culture, combined to produce one of history's greatest evil geniuses -- William Taubman (author of KHRUSHCHEV: THE MAN AND HIS ERA)Stephen Kotkin's first volume on Stalin is ambitious in conception and masterly in execution ... combines biography with historical analysis in a way that brings out clearly Stalin's great political talents as well as the ruthlessness with which he applied them and the impact his policies had on Russia and the world. This is a magisterial work on the grandest scale -- David Holloway (author of STALIN AND THE BOMB)Stephen Kotkin's biography of Stalin, of which this but the first of three volumes, is a most impressive achievement. Based on both archival and printed sources, it treats in meticulous detail the early years of a tyrant who was destined to become one of the most influential political figures of the twentieth century -- Richard Pipes (author of RUSSIA UNDER THE BOLSHEVIK REGIME)

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Book SynopsisThe acclaimed book Oliver Stone called “the best account I have read of this tragedy and its significance,” JFK and the Unspeakable details not just how the conspiracy to assassinate President John F. Kennedy was carried out, but WHY it was done…and why it still matters today.At the height of the Cold War, JFK risked committing the greatest crime in human history: starting a nuclear war. Horrified by the specter of nuclear annihilation, Kennedy gradually turned away from his long-held Cold Warrior beliefs and toward a policy of lasting peace. But to the military and intelligence agencies in the United States, who were committed to winning the Cold War at any cost, Kennedy’s change of heart was a direct threat to their power and influence. Once these dark “Unspeakable” forces recognized that Kennedy’s interests were in direct opposition to their own, they tagged him as a dangerous traitor, plotted his assassination, and orTrade Review“A remarkable story that changed the way I view the world.”—JAMES BRADLEY, author of Flags of Our Fathers“Arguably the most important book yet written about a U.S. president … Should be required reading for all high school and college students, and anyone who is a registered voter!”—JOHN PERKINS, author of Confessions of an Economic Hitman “The best account I have read of this tragedy and its significance … But don’t take my word for it. Read this extraordinary book and reach your own conclusions.” —OLIVER STONE, director"Jim Douglass has unraveled the story of President Kennedy’s astonishing and little-known turn toward peace, and the reasons why members of his own government felt he must be eliminated. This disturbing, enlightening, and ultimately inspiring book should be read by all Americans. It has the power to change our lives and to set us free."—MARTIN SHEEN“JFK and the Unspeakable is an exceptional achievement. Douglass has made the strongest case so far in the JFK assassination literature as to the Who and the Why of Dallas.”—GERALD McNIGHT, author of Beach of Trust: How the Warren Commission Failed the Nation and Why“Once in a great while a book comes along that both records history and makes it. … An exciting work with the drama of a first-rate thriller.” —MARK LANE, author of Rush to Judgment“Right now, I ask all of you—please please, read JFK and the Unspeakable! I cried all night reading it, and didn’t sleep a wink. It is a book that could make us stand up and change the world, right now. Maybe we can save the world before it blows up. Really.” -- Yoko Ono"In JFK and the Unspeakable Jim Douglass has distilled all the best available research into a very well-documented and convincing portrait of President Kennedy's transforming turn to peace, at the cost of his life. Personally, it has made a very big impact on me. After reading it in Dallas, I was moved for the first time to visit Dealey Plaza. I urge all Americans to read this book and come to their own conclusions about why he died and why -- after fifty years -- it still matters.” -- Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

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Book SynopsisREVISED AND UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE EXPLOSIVE EVENTS OF 2021 and 2022Winner at the Parliamentary Book AwardsShortlisted for the Waterstones Book of the YearLonglisted for the Orwell Prize____________Daily Telegraph's Best Books of the YearGuardian's Best Books of the YearEvening Standard's Best Books of the YearDaily Mail's Best Books of the YearBBC's Biggest BooksProspect's Best Books of the YearPoliticians are consistently voted the least trusted professional group by the UK public. They've recently become embroiled in scandals relating to everything from expenses to sexual harassment to illicit parties. Every year, they introduce new legislation that doesn't do what it sets out to achieve - often with terrible financial and human costs. But, with some notable exceptions, they are decent, hard-working people, doing a hugely difficult and demanding job.In this searching examination of our political class, award-winning journalist Isabel Hardman tries to square this circle. She lifts the lid on the strange world of Westminster and asks why we end up with representatives with whom we are so unhappy. Filled with forensic analysis and revealing reportage, this landmark and accessible book is a must read for anyone who wants to see a future with better government.Trade ReviewA really good book... Well-structured and well-written. * Observer *Hardman's well-written, incisive book provides a good compass with which to navigate this changing landscape * The Times *It's easy to moan that Westminster doesn't work and a lot harder to explain why. To understand, this is the book you need to read. * Laura Kuenssberg – Political Editor, BBC News *An entertaining read that addresses hard questions... invaluable for those who think they know what's wrong with Westminster but have no idea how to put it right. * John Humphrys – Presenter, Today Programme *Hardman's diagnosis of the malaise in the body politic is compelling and entertaining * Robert Peston – Political Editor, ITV News *A vital and compelling read for anyone interested in the way our politics does or doesn't work -- Jess Phillips * New Statesman *A fast-paced, intelligent dissection of modern politics, packed full of juicy anecdotes and insider knowledge. What Isabel Hardman doesn't know about parliament isn't worth knowing. * Helen Lewis – Deputy Editor, New Statesman *A must-read for anyone who wants to change the way they think about politicians and how they vote. * Evening Standard *As someone who has spent years writing about Westminster, Hardman knows better than most what is going wrong there... A must-read for anyone who wants a better Parliament. Crammed with insight and gossip, it will hopefully provoke the Westminster bubble to clean itself up. -- Asa Bennet * Daily Telegraph *Excellent... Hardman has carefully explained how to breathe new life into the existing system. -- Alex Dean * Prospect *The untold, candid account of our MPs. Isabel Hardman has been able to pierce our protective armour because we trust and respect her. And she's analysed what she found with a fierce intellect. * Harriet Harman MP *This thoroughly readable and well-researched book explains why parliamentary powers won't ever be used properly until parties change how they choose their candidates. -- Lord Peter MandelsonWith humour and humanity, Isabel Hardman lifts the lid on the Houses of Parliament and shows with compelling authority how the structure and culture of our political system so often delivers the worst kind of results. This book has the power to fundamentally change how we do things in this country. * Emily Maitlis – Presenter, Newsnight *This highly readable book serves as a reminder that the principal purpose of an MP is to be a legislator, yet poorly thought through laws are often passed. -- Jacob Rees-Mogg, MP for North East SomersetRiveting... Here's hoping lots of MPs get it in their Christmas stocking. * Daily Telegraph *Both original and practical, a press gallery eye view on why so many good people either don't make it into parliament or don't manage to achieve what they thought they would once there. Hardman writes well * Guardian, Best Books of 2018 *A brilliantly lucid explanation of the systemic problems in our electoral system that make policy-making and government such a mess. -- Nick Curtis * Evening Standard *A title no one could disagree with. Political journalist Hardman analyses why we end up with representatives we think are useless and suggests how we might do things differently. * Daily Mail *Eye-opening. * Sunday Telegraph *Excellent. * Independent *Extremely well-written. * Sorted *Table of Contents1: Getting In 2: Starting Out 3: Getting Out There 4: Getting Things Done 5: Getting On 6: Getting Caught 7: Getting Ill 8: Getting Out 9: They Just Don't Get It 10: All Things to All Men 11: Yes-Men 12: Trapped!

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Book Synopsis**Winner of the 2020 PARLIAMENTARY BOOK AWARDS for Best Political Book by a Non-Parliamentarian**A Times Political Book of the Year'An entertaining, thorough and informative canter through the characters and stories of prime ministers past.' - New Statesman 'A wealth of enjoyable insights into three centuries of Westminster politics... It is a most elegant hardback volume, with a gilded cover that looks a little like the famous front door of No. 10 itself; the ideal Christmas gift.' - Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman'This is a timely study of UK Prime Ministers and Iain Dale has done the subject a great service with this measured and thoughtful labour of love which offers a fascinating set of insights into the history of Britain, politics, the role of Prime Minister, and elite and establishment power... a superb guide to the times we have lived through and are living in.' - Gerry Hassan, Scottish ReviewIt has almost been 300 years since Sir Robert Walpole arguably became the first holder of the office of Prime Minister in 1721 - an office which today is under scrutiny like never before. The Prime Ministers, edited by leading political commentator Iain Dale, brings to life all 55 of Britain's 'First Among Equals' with an essay for each office holder, written by key figures in British politics. From the obscure 18th-century figures like the Earl of Shelburne to 20th-century titans like Churchill and Thatcher, this book provides a much-needed reminder about their motivations, failures and achievements.

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Book SynopsisA 'gripping, succinct and lethal' (Matthew Parris, THE TIMES) reappraisal of the life of Benjamin Disraeli, the most celebrated and colourful politician of the nineteenth century.Trade ReviewWere the hatchet a less brutal tool, this gripping, succinct and lethal book would deserve the name of hatchet job. The authors get right inside their subject and stay there; this is where their work is done; and, before the reader's eyes and wholly unassaulted, Benjamin Disraeli dies from the inside. Disraeli was not a "one-nation" politician. He neither used the phrase nor implied the idea. Hurd and Young bring to life his wishful dream of the order of things that he had himself mythologised, and wished to protect: nobility, breeding, monarchy, finery, feasting, good-looking young men and grand old ladies. -- Matthew Parris * THE TIMES *Twice a prime minister and a dazzling parliamentarian, Disraeli was actually motivated by fame and was barely a democrat, according to this fascinating character study. * BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH *The virtue of Douglas Hurd and Edward Young's sparkling new study lies in its succinctness and the analytical skills of its authors * FINANCIAL MAIL (South Africa) *The great Victorian prime minister Benjamin Disraeli has become a political football lately, with Ed Miliband and David Cameron both staking claims to his 'One Nation' legacy. But as Douglas Hurd and Edward Young show, he never even used the phrase. Disraeli's faults and virtues are carefully examined in this hugely impressive biography. * IRISH MAIL ON SUNDAY *Former British Foreign Secretary, Douglas Hurd, and British Prime Minister David Cameron's former speech writer Edward Young vividly bring to life Disraeli's persona in their book Disraeli or Two Lives... The book has wonderful anecdotes especially to do with Disraeli's colourful private life... He made politics interesting, colourful and engaging and that is why Disraeli is one of those few British politicians whose life story has been chronicled by Hollywood * THE TIMES OF ISRAEL *What distinguishes this volume is its accessibility and clear-sightedness. -- Dominic Sandbrook * SUNDAY TIMES *An engaging reassessment of the paradoxes at the heart of Disraeli's "two lives": a dandy and a gambler on the one had, a devoted servant and favourite of Queen Victoria on the other. * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *Disraeli's faults and virtues are carefully examined in this hugely impressive biography * THE MAIL ON SUNDAY *What distinguishes this volume is its accessibility and clear-sightedness. -- Dominic Sandbrook * SUNDAY TIMES *An engaging reassessment of the paradoxes at the heart of Disraeli's "two lives": a dandy and a gambler on the one had, a devoted servant and favourite of Queen Victoria on the other. * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *Disraeli's faults and virtues are carefully examined in this hugely impressive biography * THE MAIL ON SUNDAY *

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Book Synopsis'Clear-eyed and illuminating.’ Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State and National Security Advisor 'A rich, superbly researched, balanced history of the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.' General David Petraeus, former Commander U.S. Central Command and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency ‘Destined to be the best single volume on the Kingdom.’ Ambassador Chas Freeman, former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Assistant Secretary of Defense 'Should be prescribed reading for a new generation of political leaders.' Sir Richard Dearlove, former Chief of H.M. Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge. Something extraordinary is happening in Saudi Arabia. A traditional, tribal society once known for its lack of tolerance is rapidly implementing significant economic and social reforms. An army of foreign consultants is rewriting the social contract, King Salman has cracked down hard on corruption, and his dynamic though inexperienced son, the Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, is promoting a more tolerant Islam. But is all this a new vision for Saudi Arabia or merely a mirage likely to dissolve into Iranian-style revolution? David Rundell - one of America’s foremost experts on Saudi Arabia - explains how the country has been stable for so long, why it is less so today, and what is most likely to happen in the future. The book is based on the author's close contacts and intimate knowledge of the country where he spent 15 years living and working as a diplomat. Vision or Mirage demystifies one of the most powerful, but least understood, states in the Middle East and is essential reading for anyone interested in the power dynamics and politics of the Arab World.Trade ReviewA book of staggering breadth and depth. * The Wall Street Journal *Rundell covers the kingdom from top to bottom with vast wisdom, depth and understanding … It provides a superb overview of the kingdom’s political, economic and social landscape, but it goes well beyond that. Rundell explains, clearly and concisely, the special dynamics that drive the kingdom and render it so alien from our own society ... I wish that every United States diplomat, military officer and journalist would read this book before deploying there. I wish that every member of Congress would read it before voting on any measure related to Saudi Arabia. I wish every American pondering the frictions of our long relationship with the Saudis would read it simply to understand. * New York Times Book Review *At once modern and theocratic, reserved and assertive—Saudi Arabia’s paradoxes defy easy comprehension. For those seeking to understand the Kingdom and its role in the world, longtime observer David Rundell has distilled his experience into a clear-eyed and illuminating explanation. -- Henry A. Kissinger‘Excellent… analytically rigorous… exceptional…’ * Financial Times *[T]he author hits all the necessary benchmarks in his assessment of the Kingdom’s development. The book must also be regarded as a great accomplishment in the study of the Kingdom and its new leadership. * Middle East Journal *Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads is a book that will prove incredibly illuminating to the average Westerner, who probably only thinks of sexism, theocracy and oil when he thinks about Saudi Arabia. Rundell uses history, theology, politics, economics and sociology to explain the current complexities and challenges of the Arabian Peninsula’s most dominant nation. -- Russell A Whitestone, Eurasia ReviewVision or Mirage is destined to be the best single volume on the Kingdom. It will be a long time, if ever, before it is bettered. -- Chas Freeman, Former U.S Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Assistant Secretary of Defense, President of the Middle East Policy CouncilSaudi Arabia has always been difficult for outsiders to understand, but it will be much less so now thanks to David Rundell. With insightful analysis of the roles of the ruling family, the tribal structure, the merchant class and the religious leadership, he forges all the pieces into a coherent whole that will enlighten specialists and novices alike. -- Thomas W. Lippman, author of Saudi Arabia on the EdgeA rich, superbly researched, balanced history of the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. David Rundell was one of the State Department’s pre-eminent authorities on Saudi Arabia and the Arab world, one on whom those of us working in the region depended heavily, and this history reflects his decades of experience in the region, his eye for nuance and detail, his deep understanding of the culture and relationships in the kingdom, and his exceptional ability to distill and present all of that brilliantly. -- General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret.), former Commander of the US Central Command and the Coalition Forces in Afghanistan, and former Director of the CIAThis is a rare and important work on Saudi Arabia. Any diplomat, military official, policy maker or businessperson whose portfolio touches the kingdom will make far better decisions for having read it. I had the pleasure of working with Diplomat David Rundell during my service in the KSA. He provided sage advice and observations then, just as he will do for you in this splendid and useful book. -- Ambassador James Oberwetter, Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi ArabiaDavid Rundell is America’s most knowledgeable diplomat on Saudi Arabia. This book, Vision or Mirage, is a deeply learned and nuanced account of the kingdom’s history, politics and economics. Without illusions or an ideological axe to grind, Rundell offers acute observations about the strengths and weaknesses of the country, based on nearly two decades of having lived and served in Saudi Arabia. He brings the country’s remarkable story up to the present and explains the important transformations taking place under King Salman and his son crown prince Muhammad (MBS) and what is at stake in their success or failure. You will not find a better book on the kingdom. -- Bernard Haykel, Professor of Near East Studies, Princeton University; Co-Author Saudi Arabia in TransitionThe author of this book is "pro-Saudi", and at the same time he is entirely objective. He reconciles direct opposites not by fudging the differences, but by offering us his uniquely deep knowledge of a country and a state that remain poorly documented. This is a very valuable book. -- Edward Luttwak, , Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington D.CWhenever I landed in Jeddah or Riyadh and wanted to discover what was really going on, the ‘man-in-the-sand’ whose expertise I always sought out first was David Rundell, the Quiet American who had the ‘ inside scoop’ on the politics, the business and, above all, the people of the ever-challenging Kingdom — the ‘Rundell Rumble’. Dave was always just back from some oasis or tribe or border territory where secret things were happening, or heading for the desert to pow-wow with the king. So pow-wow now with Dave as his brilliant book generously discloses a lifetime of wisdom and insights that take the reader inside one of the world’s most enigmatic and crucially important of lands. Saudi Arabia? It’s all in here . . . Whenever I landed in Jeddah or Riyadh and wanted to discover what was really going on, the ‘man-in-the-sand’ whose expertise I always sought out first was David Rundell, the Quiet American who had the ‘ inside scoop’ on the politics, the business and, above all, the people of the ever-challenging Kingdom — the ‘Rundell Rumble’. Dave was always just back from some oasis or tribe or border territory where secret things were happening, or heading for the desert to pow-wow with the king. So pow-wow now with Dave as his brilliant book generously discloses a lifetime of wisdom and insights that take the reader inside one of the world’s most enigmatic and crucially important of lands. Saudi Arabia? It’s all in here . . . -- Robert Lacey, author of The Kingdom and Inside the Kingdom‘A thorough historical and contemporary guide to the enigma that is the House of Saud, to its Kingdom and to its latest political intrigues. A great single read on a complex subject, key to understanding the Arab World’s likely evolution. Should be prescribed reading for a new generation of political leaders.’ -- Sir Richard Dearlove, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of London; Former Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6); Former Master of Pembroke College, CambridgeAmidst an array of parabolic pressures ranging from geopolitical forces to economic uncertainty and domestic instability, the House of Saud has long been one of the most powerful families in the Middle East. In spite of this, it faces a number of existential challenges as it moves into the 21st century. Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads offers a fascinating and timely exploration of how the Al Saud dynasty has retained power which is essential in understanding how the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia may evolve in the coming years. -- Simon Mabon Senior Lecturer, Lancaster University; author of Houses Built on Sand, The Origins of ISIS and Saudi Arabia and IranA readable and breezy account of recent developments in Saudi Arabia as well as the author’s interpretation of the transformational and polarizing trends during the last several years. It is a noteworthy contribution to the field. -- J. E. Peterson, historian and political analyst, author of Saudi Arabia Under Ibn Saud and Historical Dictionary of Saudi ArabiaDavid Rundell has more experience in Saudi Arabia than any living American diplomat. I relied upon his experience and insight during my time as ambassador to the Kingdom. Rundell’s eye for detail and meticulous research provide the reader with a compelling story of initial conquest and generations of stability followed by a tectonic rupture in the social contract among the ruler, the royal family, and the population. -- Robert W. Jordan, former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Diplomat in Residence, John G. Tower Center at Southern Methodist UniversityThis is a scholarly and expertly crafted practitioner’s account borne of deep familiarity with Saudi Arabia. David Rundell’s remarkable book artfully weaves together the Saudi past and present--deftly analyzing both continuity and change while providing sorely needed context for understanding today’s unprecedented developments. -- Joshua Teitelbaum, Bar-Ilan University, Israel; Visiting Scholar, Center for International and Security Cooperation, Stanford University; Author of Saudi Arabia and the New Strategic LandscapeA very balanced account of what Saudi Arabia got right, which is often overlooked, and the accumulating challenges the country faces today. Carefully researched, it is neither all gloom and doom nor all-praising. -- John Sfakianakis, Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge; Co-author of The Saudi Economy in the Twentieth CenturyA most impressive account of the cunning manner in which King Salman is attempting to secure his family’s place in the 21st century by establishing the fourth kingdom through his son Muhammad bin Salman. David Rundell's insights into historical precedents and personal knowledge of the personalities of the individuals involved is compelling and provides a far more credible narrative of Saudi developments since the death of the late Abdullah bin Abd al-Aziz than other current analysis . -- Ambassador Mark G. Hambley, Former American Consul General in Jeddah and Ambassador to Qatar and LebanonTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements Introduction Part I: HISTORIC LEGITIMACY Chapter 1: The House of Saud Chapter 2: The Wars of Unification Chapter 3: The Ikhwan Revolt Part II: MANAGING SUCCESSION Chapter 4: Kings Saud and Faisal Chapter 5: Kings Khalid, Fahd, and Abdullah Chapter 6: King Salman and MBS Part III: BALANCING STAKEHOLDERS Chapter 7: The Tribes Chapter 8: The Clergy Chapter 9: The Merchants Chapter 10: The Technocrats Chapter 11: The Royal Family Part IV PROVIDING COMPETENT GOVERNMENT Chapter 12: Providing Internal Security Chapter 13: Promoting Rapid Economic Development Chapter 14: Foreign Policy: Keeping Powerful Friends Chapter 15: Foreign Policy: Deploying Oil and Islam Chapter 16:Promoting Gradual Social Change Part V ADAPTING TO CHANGE Chapter 17: Economic Challenges: Oil Prices, Diversification and Jobs Chapter 18: Security Challenges: Deploying Oil, Allies and Islam Chapter 19: Political Challenges: Pluralism, Corruption, and Participation Chapter 20: Evolving Arabia

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