Political leaders and leadership Books

Book SynopsisIn one of the first volumes assessing the full two terms of the George W. Bush presidency, Wroe and Herbert have gathered the work of leading American and European scholars. In fifteen succinct and incisive chapters, authorities such as Jim Pfiffner, John Maltese, Graham Wilson and Alan Gitelson offer assessments of the Bush administration''s successes and failures. Extensive attention is paid to Bush''s foreign policy, including ''The War on Terror'' but the focus is broadened to absorb not only the Bush Doctrine and its repercussions, but also his trade and homeland security policies. The president''s domestic leadership in economics and social policy is investigated, as are his dealings as president with the other institutions of the U.S. political system. The result is a comprehensive guide to the Bush presidency and its legacy.Trade ReviewThe editors of Assessing the George W. Bush Presidency have done a brilliant job in assembling a book which will be of great value to all commentators on, and students of, the contemporary presidency ! The essays are all distinguished by high quality, while the editors add additional coherence by outlining in their introductory and concluding chapters a theory of George W. Bush's presidency ! This is a fine collection, the best available account of the presidential politics of the day before yesterday. -- John Dumbrell, Durham University Journal of American Studies The editors of Assessing the George W. Bush Presidency have done a brilliant job in assembling a book which will be of great value to all commentators on, and students of, the contemporary presidency ! The essays are all distinguished by high quality, while the editors add additional coherence by outlining in their introductory and concluding chapters a theory of George W. Bush's presidency ! This is a fine collection, the best available account of the presidential politics of the day before yesterday.Table of Contents1. Introduction: A Tale of Two Terms, Andrew Wroe (University of Kent) and Jon Herbert (Keele University); Part I: Institutions and Structures; 2. George W. Bush and the US Congress, Robert Singh (Birkbeck College, University of London); 3. George W. Bush as Chief Executive, James P. Pfiffner (George Mason University); 4. George W. Bush and the US Supreme Court, Emma Long (University of Kent); 5. Federalism in the Bush Era, M.J.C. Vile (University of Kent); Part II: Foreign Policy Leadership; 6. To Usher in a New Paradigm? President Bush's Foreign Policy Legacy, Jason Ralph (University of Leeds); 7. Reforming the National Security Apparatus, Steven Hurst (Manchester Metropolitan University); 8. Bush and Europe, David Patrick Houghton (University of Central Florida); 9. International Trade Policy Under George W. Bush, Nitsan Chorev (Brown University); Part III: Domestic Policy Leadership; 10. President Bush and the Economy, Graham Wilson (Boston University); 11. The Politics of Aging, Alex Waddan (University of Leicester); 12. No Child Left Behind: The Politics and Policy of Education Reform, Jonathan Parker (Keele University); 13. The Bush Administration and the Politics of Sexual Morality, Edward Ashbee (Copenhagen Business School); 14. Communications Strategies in the Bush White House, John Anthony Maltese (University of Georgia); 15. A Lasting Republican Majority? George W. Bush's Electoral Strategy, Kevin Fullam (Loyola University) and Alan R. Gitelson (Loyola University); 16. Conclusion: The Legacy of George W. Bush, Jon Herbert and Andrew Wroe.

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Book SynopsisThe Falklands War, the US invasion of Grenada, the Anglo-Guatemalan dispute over Belize and the US involvement in Nicaragua - in the 1980s, these crises threatened to overwhelm a renewal in US-UK relations. US President Ronald Reagan and UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher''s efforts to normalise relations, during and after these crises, reveal a mutual desire to strengthen Anglo-American ties and safeguard individual foreign policy objectives. At the same time, they cultivated a close political and personal bond that lasted well beyond their terms in office. Sally-Ann Treharne vividly portrays the role of personal diplomacy in overcoming obstacles to Anglo-American relations emanating from the turbulent Latin American region in the final years of the Cold War. Drawing on recently declassified documents and candid interviews with key protagonists, she highlights the pivotal moments in Reagan and Thatcher''s shared history from a new vantage point. Interviewees include: Lord Geoffrey Howe, Lord Michael Heseltine, Lord Cecil Parkinson, Sir John Nott, Sir Bernard Ingham, Lord Charles Powell, Baroness Gloria Hooper, Sir Adrian Beamish, Lord Peter Carrington, Lord Neil Kinnock and Lord Timothy BellTable of ContentsList of Figures; Acknowledgements; List of Acronyms and Abbreviations; Introduction; 1. The 1970s: A Decline in Anglo-American Specialness and US-UK Relations with Latin America; 2. The Special Relationship and the Falklands War; 3. Friend or Foe? The US Invades Grenada; 4. Vested Interests: US Involvement in the Anglo-Guatemalan Dispute; 5. Nicaragua: The Allies Stand Together; Conclusion; Appendix: Interviewees; Select Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisCarol Thatcher has one of the most famous surnames in the world.The daughter of former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher, Carol is a national treasure with a unique story to tell. Her remarkable mixture of bravery, honesty and humour won her a place in the nation''s hearts on ITV''s I''m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here...! when millions of viewers voted her the second ''Queen of the Jungle''.In this candid memoir, she tells us about what it was like to grow up as the ''Milk Snatcher''s'' daughter, sister of the infamous Mark, living a life she describes as a ''swim-on part in the goldfish bowl''.Her tales of behind-the-scenes at Number 10, her extraordinary travels, and dinners with world leaders, are both rivetingly funny and refreshingly revealing.

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Book SynopsisExcellent. The Economist A gripping account. South China Morning PostWell worth reading. The Morning StarA persuasive and readable narrative. History TodayElegantly written. The Tablet An excellent study. The Chartist Engaging. Asia Times The events of 1949 in China reverberated across the world and throughout the rest of the century. That tumultuous year saw the dramatic collapse of Chiang Kai-shek's pro-Western' Nationalist government, overthrown by Mao Zedong and his communist armies, and the foundation of the People's Republic of China.China 1949 follows the huge military forces that tramped across the country, the exile of once-powerful leaders and the alarm of the foreign powers watching on. The well-known figures of the Revolution are all here. But so are lesser known military and political leaders along with a host of ordinary' Chinese citizens and foreigners caught in the maelstrom. TheyTrade ReviewAdds to our understanding of the rise of Chairman Mao. * The Independent *An excellent new book about the founding year of the People’s Republic. * The Economist *China 1949: Year of Revolution is a gripping account... the book answers in meticulous detail the big question: why did the Communists win?... an excellent record of one of the most important historical events of the 20th century. * South China Morning Post Magazine *An excellent book, which confines its focus to the pivotal year which ended 30 years of chaos and civil conflict and opened a new chapter in China’s history — and the world’s. Well worth reading. * Morning Star *A persuasive and readable narrative of that critical year, accurately emphasising the catastrophic shortcomings of the Nationalists and of Chiang Kai-shek that contributed to their defeat… China 1949 brings this critical year to life and is a good starting point for understanding how the People's Republic of China developed. * History Today *Well researched and elegantly written. * The Tablet *Provides an engaging day-by-day account of those momentous events … For those wishing to pursue the subject in greater detail, this volume lays an excellent foundation. * Asia Times *This is an excellent study and highly recommended. * The Chartist *This book offers an accessible, authoritative account that provides orientation on where things were at the very start of the great Communist project, and some way of understanding better where they stand today. * Asian Affairs *‘A wonderful read for students and general readers why 1949 was a fateful and pivotal year that changed the fate of the most populous country in the world. It shows vividly that the Communist Party did not come to power riding on the tide of a great revolution that swept across China but it seized the mandate of Heaven as successive imperial dynasties had done in the past – by military conquest.’ * Steve Tsang, Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the China Institute, SOAS University of London, UK [and author of A Modern History of Hong Kong] *China 1949 is a compelling achievement. First, Hutchings gives a clear, balanced account of the titanic forces that brought to power one of the most important political movements of the 20th century, the Chinese Communist Party. But then, he gives the book a deeply humane and moving heart with accounts of the emotions and dilemmas felt both by those who supported the revolution and those who opposed it. This is history on the grand scale but with a brilliant, observant eye for the complexities that underpin this pivotal event. * Rana Mitter, Director of the University China Centre, University of Oxford, UK, and author of China's Good War: How World War II is Shaping a New Nationalism *‘The Chinese have recently celebrated the 70th anniversary of a revolution which changed the course of world history. Graham Hutchings reveals the extent of the Communist triumph in that epoch-making year, and the countervailing humiliation of the Nationalists. The book is well researched, tells a fascinating story with pace and elegance, and illuminates what is happening in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong today.’ * Simon Scott Plummer, Feature Writer on East Asia for The Times, Diplomatic Correspondent and Chief Foreign Leader Writer for The Daily Telegraph, and frequent reviewer for Times Literary Supplement and The Tablet *An interesting aspect for today's readers is the book's contribution to understanding current issues surrounding China and its place in the world. * China2025.nl (Bloomsbury Translation) *The victory of Chinese Communist forces over those of China’s Nationalist Government in 1949 is one of the great climacterics of the twentieth century. Not only did it define China’s subsequent political trajectory, but it also shaped the futures of Taiwan and Hong Kong. China 1949 provides a vivid picture of the final act in the long-drawn-out struggle for power in China. Drawing on a wide range of private papers, archival and Chinese-language sources, Graham Hutchings has achieved the difficult feat of producing a scholarly history that is also a real page turner. He has an unerring ear for the arresting phrase, and writes with elegance and élan. His pacy narrative, viewed through multiple prisms of a varied cast of protagonists ranging from political and military leaders to ‘ordinary’ individuals, is peppered with piquant detail that brings the unfolding events of 1949 vividly to life. * Bob Ash, Emeritus Professor, SOAS, University of London, UK *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction 1. Adversaries 2. “The event on the horizon” 3. Peace postures 4. ‘Offshore China’ 5. Crossing the river 6. Taking the cities 7. Parallel worlds 8. Mao’s new world 9. Endgames 10. Afterwards

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Book SynopsisThere’s the office: President of the United States. And then there’s the man in the office—prone to temptation and looking to unwind after a long day running the country. Celebrating the decidedly less distinguished side of the nation’s leaders, humor writer Brian Abrams offers a compelling, hilarious, and true American history on the rocks—a Washington-to-Obama, vice-by-vice chronicle of how the presidents like to party. From explicit love letters to slurred speeches to nude swims at Bing Crosby’s house, reputations are ruined and secrets bared. George Washington brokered the end of the? American Revolution over glasses of Madeira. Ulysses S. Grant rarely drew a sober breath when he was leading the North to victory. And it wasn’t all liquor. Some presidents preferred their drugs—Nixon was a pill-popper. And others chased women instead—both ?the professorial Woodrow Wilson (who signed his love letters “

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"This political biography of the current Indonesian President Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, explains why his style is so successful and what his major undertakings as president have been. The stated aim of Jokowi and the New Indonesia by Darmawan Prasodjo with assistance from Tim Hannigan, is to give a full picture of the man and his presidency in English." —Asian Review of Books

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Book SynopsisThe long-awaited insider's look at one of the design milestones of the twenty-first century: Michael S Smith's celebrated decoration of the Obama White House, featuring a foreword by Michelle Obama.2020 HONORABLE MENTION FOR THE FOREWORD INDIES AWARD IN HOBBIES/HOMECreated for design enthusiasts, political aficionados, and students of Americana, Designing History documents Michael Smith's extraordinary collaboration with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. Not since Jacqueline Kennedy's iconic work on the White House has a designer of Michael Smith's stature been commissioned to bring a new design spirit to the mansion. Through extensive photography, behind-the-scenes stories, and rich archival material, the book places the Obama White House within the context of the building's storied past and its evolution over the past two centuries. The book beautifully documents the process of updating the country's most symbolic reTrade Review"Smith's modern designs for the White House made history, just as the Obamas' presence was, in itself, trailblazing. Further, all changes to the White House's private residences were added to the 250-year-long history in every room—a place where layers of wallpaper tell a story of past administrations." — OPRAH.COM"Michelle Obama provides the foreword to this insider’s look at interior designer Michael S. Smith’s decoration of the Obama White House. Created for design enthusiasts, political aficionados, and students of Americana, the book documents Smith’s collaboration with the Obamas. With 230 photographs, behind-the-scenes stories, and archival material, Designing History places the Obama White House within the context of the building’s storied past and its evolution over the past two centuries." — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY"In 2008, designer Michael S. Smith got the commission of a lifetime: designing the interiors for the Obama White House. In this book, the designer takes readers inside the process of decorating for the First Family and shares the illustrious history of interior design in the People's House. Oh, and there's a foreword by Michelle Obama." —HOUSE BEAUTIFUL "The decorator Michael Smith, who has transformed interiors for the Obamas, Rupert Murdoch and Cindy Crawford, is spilling paint in a new book." —NEW YORK TIMES"Decorators often lament the fact that once a room is redone, nobody remembers their work. For Michael S. Smith, documenting his design of the Obama White House—and processing the eight years he shuttled back and forth to Washington, D.C., for the first family after an introduction from Obama’s social secretary, Desirée Rogers—became a personal mission. 'It was important to kind of take a moment and not just let history flow by,' he says. The result is Designing History: The Extraordinary Art & Style of the Obama White House, a monograph out now from Rizzoli that situates the Obamas’ friendly, unpretentious décor within the snow globe of White House style." —WSJ. MAGAZINE"Smith offers readers an inside look at his work ushering in a new era of decor at the historic residence." —IN STYLE"...by far the most comprehensive illustrated record of the executive mansion and Smith's deep dive into the history of the white house, as he helped the Obamas update the stolid mansion with a more contemporary and open aesthetic, easing the burdens of a young family living in the White House." — TOWN & COUNTRY"Smith shares everything from the advice he got from Nancy Reagan to the secret code his staff used to refer to the Obamas." —BUSINESSOFHOME.COM"'Designing History,' the new publication by Michael S Smith, is about the world's most famous house and its continuous design legacy. But it is much more than a document on decorating the White House, the mansion which continues to fascinate and inspire all Americans. It is about a relationship forged between a client and a decorator, a connection crucial to the success of any project. 'Designing History' provides a glimpse into the private lives of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama during their eight years in office (2009-17). The text and wonderful photographs bring to life the spaces hosted their legacy and achievements – being the first African American president in US history, the Affordable Care Act, or the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals – through the décor they chose to live in." —DANIELLAONDESIGN.COM"Created for design enthusiasts, political aficionados, and students of Americana, Designing History documents Michael Smith’s extraordinary collaboration with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama."—LOVE HAPPENS "In Designing History, Smith catalogs his collaboration with the First Family with behind-the-scenes photos, design schemes, room renderings, and more, documenting the artists and craftspeople integral in the reimagining of the home. Interestingly, the White House’s storied decorative past—as Smith, a self-described student of history, discovered through letters written by Mary Todd Lincoln, archival records of Jackie Kennedy, and present-day calls with Nancy Reagan, a friend—helped inform the Obama-era design plans." —ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST.COM "Reading this book was a joy. I spent the better part of a day and a half reading its 300+ pages and hated that it came to an end. I was hungry for even more."—COTE DE TEXAS"...full of behind-the-scenes insight...takes readers room by room through Smith’s overhaul of the former First Family’s private residence." —WASHINGTONIAN"But the book chronicles much more than the Smith’s reservedly-polished interiors for the first family; it’s an important historical volume highlighting the fabled rooms and furnishings of America’s most famous mansion. Written and produced in conjunction with legendary design editor Margaret Russell, this is a book to savor slowly to fully appreciate the arc of the White House from past to present. And if you’re looking for inspiration, you’ll be thrilled to see story boards of the paint colors, fabrics and wallpapers, and furniture designs." — INTERIORDESIGNMASTERCLASS.COM "Written alongside journalist Margaret Russell, the book provides a detailed history of the White House's layout and contents." — CNN"Through photography, archival materials and behind-the-scenes stories, this book documents the history of the White House and designer Michael Smith's collaboration with the Obamas to decorate and update the residence to reflect the First Family's youthful spirit." —COTTAGES & GARDENS"Despite the pressure that inevitably comes with redesigning the White House, interior designer Michael S. Smith’s priority for the Obama family’s tenure at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, as with any residential project, was to create a home for the family to thrive. In Designing History, Smith catalogs his collaboration with the first family with behind-the-scenes photos, design schemes, room renderings, and more, documenting the artists, craftspeople, and historical findings integral in the reimagining of the home." — ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST.COM

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"This is the best book about Obama I've ever read. It's totally objective but beautifully written and filled with new little nuggets that even I, who covered the Administration from start to finish, never knew." * Mary Hager, Executive Producer of "Face the Nation" *

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Book SynopsisA New York Times Book Review Editors' ChoiceAn innovative account of Abraham Lincoln, constitutional thinker and doer.When Abraham Lincoln assumed the presidency in 1861, the United States' constitutional arrangements were not the ones we know today. It was widely believed that the federal government could not use armed force to prevent a state from seceding. It was also assumed that it had no authority over slavery in states where the institution existed and that basic civil liberties could not be suspended during a rebellion without the consent of Congress. As president, Lincoln broke decisively with all these precedents, deliberately and repeatedly violating the United States' founding principles. To what end? How did Lincoln understand the Constitution and how did he transform it?In The Broken Constitution, Noah Feldman tells the full story of how Lincoln tore up the Constitution in order to save it. Prior to the Civil War, the docume

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Book SynopsisThis philosophical Mao is a fresh portrait of the mind of the ruler who changed the face of China in the twentieth century. The book traces the influences of both traditional Chinese and traditional pre-Marxist Western philosophy on the early Mao and how these influences guided the development of his thought. It reveals evidence of the creative dimensions of Mao's thinking and how he wove the yin/yang pattern of change depicted in the Yijing, the Chinese Book of Changes, into the Marxist dialectic to bring ancient Chinese philosophy to mark changes in twentieth century thought. Mao's lifetime philosophical journey includes his interpretations of and comments on both Chinese and Western philosophers. His deep, metaphysical reflections, uncanny prognostications and pensive speculations from his early pre-Marxist period to his later philosophical years prove to be as startling as they are thought-provoking.Trade ReviewMao Ze Dong is celebrated (or cursed) as a revolutionary leader, but the philosophical foundation of his activity is largely ignored. In his superb study, Allinson fills in this lack. Mao’s thought is not just located in its historical context; its complex references to the Chinese traditional thought, to Marx and Western philosophy, but also to modern sciences (quantum physics), are explored and documented. A new Mao thus emerges, a Mao whose radical acts are grounded in a thick texture of philosophical reflections. Allinson’s Mao is indispensable for everybody who wants to understand not just Mao but the concatenation of philosophy and politics that characterized the twentieth century. * Slavoj Žižek, International Director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities, University of London, UK *Through extensive research, involving not only Mao’s writings themselves but also the marginal notes he made on books he read, Allinson is able to trace the development of Mao’s thinking over the course of his lifetime and to demonstrate the degree to which he was actively engaged with both the Chinese and Western philosophical traditions throughout. This is an invaluable contribution to our understanding of the intellectual history of China. * Michael Puett, Walter C. Klein Professor of Chinese History and Anthropology, Harvard University, USA *Has it ever occurred to you to associate Mao with Aristotle or with the ancient Chinese Book of Changes, the Yijing? If you find it hard to believe, read this book by Robert Allinson who, in his own philosophical way, manages to inject new life and revived interest in this highly controversial but iconic figure which is still looming large behind the giant video screen of present day China. * Anne Cheng, Chair of Chinese Intellectual History, Collège de France, Paris, France *This is a most exciting and fascinating enterprise. A magnificent statement on behalf of East-West philosophy. * Irene Eber, Former Director and Louis Frieberg Professor Emerita of Chinese History and Philosophy, Louis Frieberg Center for East Asian Studies, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel and Former Senior Fellow, Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel *As Irene Eber writes in her foreword to this book, “This is a ground breaking work”. She is right, for it is indeed a work of utmost importance. In addition, the book is essential because it deals with a highly topical issue, one that can certainly help us to improve our understanding of contemporary China . . . Allinson achieves his goals in this book by clearly demonstrating a thoughtfully elaborated case of a truly intercultural, and, at the same time, truly intersubjective philosophy with widely influential connotations. This volume will be of great value to anyone interested in Chinese or cross-cultural philosophy, political theory and recent history. * Jana Rošker, chief editor of Asian Studies and the founder and first president of the European Association of Chinese Philosophy (International Communication of Chinese Culture) *Table of ContentsForeword, Irene Eber, Louis Frieberg Professor Emerita of Chinese History and Philosophy and Senior Fellow, Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel Preface Acknowledgements 1. Introduction to the Philosophical Mao 2. Mao’s Youthful Philosophical Development 3. Mao in the Margins: Mao’s Philosophy of Egoism 4. Mao’s Early Philosophical Influences and Reflections 5. The Blend of the Influence of Chinese and Western philosophy on Mao’s Thought and Parallels in China’s Social and Economic Development 6. Mao’s Marxist Thought and the Yijing 7. Mao as Metaphysician and Literatus 8. Mao’s Contributions to Philosophy Notes Selected List of References Index

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Book SynopsisMasterfully told and compelling reinterpreted. The Moscow TimesStalinism at War tells the epic story of the Soviet Union in World War Two. Starting with Soviet involvement in the war in Asia and ending with a bloody counter-insurgency in the borderlands of Ukraine, Belarus and the Baltics, the Soviet Union's war was both considerably longer and more all-encompassing than is sometimes appreciated. Here, acclaimed scholar Mark Edele explores the complex experiences of both ordinary and extraordinary citizens Russians and Koreans, Ukrainians and Jews, Lithuanians and Georgians, men and women, loyal Stalinists and critics of his regime to reveal how the Soviet Union and leadership of a ruthless dictator propelled Allied victory over Germany and Japan. In doing so, Edele weaves together material on the society and culture of the wartime years with high-level politics and unites the military, economic and political history of the Soviet Union with broader popular histoTrade ReviewA vividly written account of the conflict that comes equipped with a raft of compelling yet counterintuitive conclusions on the conflict… It’s a refreshing break with tradition given — as Edele is careful to note — the vast numbers who fought and died in these otherwise neglected theaters of conflict… Edele writes with a lively elegance that makes his narrative a genuine pleasure to read. His reluctance to get bogged down in the minutiae of war or to take sides in obscure historiographical debates keeps the text fresh and readable… What [the chapters] deliver is the richly human story of an inhuman conflict, masterfully told and compelling reinterpreted. -- Felix Light * The Moscow Times *Edele delivers plentiful bang for his reader’s buck – or rather, ruble. And his work is recommended reading. For students of history and strategy, Stalinism at War broadens our perspective of the vastness and multiplicity of timelines and front lines the Soviets fought over during the mightiest war, ever. For students of the human condition, Edele’s saga of oppression, deportation, massacre and battle makes clear how facile our Covid-era woes are compared to the staggering sufferings endured by a generation whose last, few survivors still share the earth with us. -- Andrew Salmon * Asia Times *A true tour de force, this single book weaves together Soviet grand strategy; World War II era geopolitics; and social, economic, and of course military history all together ... Mark Edele has made a considerable contribution to scholarship regarding the Soviet Union during World War II as well as the Stalinist period of Soviet history. It is highly recommended for specialists in these areas, as well as those seeking a decent introduction. Its comprehensive weaving together of various strains of history of the time period is a true model for future scholarship. * Journal of Slavic Military Studies *[A] superb account of the Soviet Second World War, one the present reviewer will be assigning to classes for a long time to come. * Russian Review *Stalinism at War is a fine, detailed general history of the USSR in 1937–49. In particular, it successfully argues that the Soviet participation in World War II included Asia, starting in the 1930s, and was extremely destructive owing to the actions of both the Axis and the Stalin regime. This longer and larger framework better fits the domestic history of the USSR than do previous works on the subject. * Michigan War Studies Review *Edele offers a provocative new interpretation of the central event of Soviet history – and the greatest war in the historical record – challenging the very chronology and geography that typically frame it. He weaves a highly readable narrative that toggles between the personal and epic without skipping a beat. * Brandon Schechter, Visiting Assistant Professor of History, Columbia University, USA *This vivid, clear-eyed, and accessible new history reconceives Soviet involvement in WWII as a Eurasian cataclysm that began the east in 1937 and ended with the cessation of postwar insurgencies only in 1949. Sure-footed in military, international, political, and social history, Mark Edele incorporates his own landmark contributions into a synthesis of a vast new body of scholarship. This fresh vision, brought to life through a kaleidoscope of biographical accounts, is essential for everyone interested in Stalinism and World War II—both of which even today haunt Russia and the post-Soviet world. * Michael David-Fox, Professor of History, Georgetown University, USA *For a period we thought we knew so well, Edele's Stalinism at War opens up a much broader conversation on Soviet military activity in the Second World War. A delightfully accessible read, backed by dense research and insightful judgements. Highly recommended. * David Stahel, Researcher, University of New South Wales, Australia *This thought-provoking book, based on fresh sources, contributes two important elements to our understanding of the conflict: it shows how Soviet citizens were affected by developments, and it provides a context which is broad, both geographically and in terms of time. * Evan Mawdsley, Honorary Professorial Research Fellow, University of Glasgow, UK *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations List of Maps List of Tables and Charts Acknowledgements Introduction: Stalinism at War, 1937-49 1. Preparing for War 2. The War begins in the East, 1937-39 3. War in the West, 1939-40 4. Armageddon, 1941-42 5. Recovery, 1941-42 6. Triumph, 1943-45 7. War of Ideologies 8. The War after the War, 1944-49 9. Impact and Aftermath Appendix: Maps Notes Index

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Book SynopsisPresenting a superb account of a man characterized by his reticence, this biography offers rare and thorough insight into the life of one of South Africa's most powerful men: Kgalema Motlanthe. This account traces Motlanthe's political path to becoming the third president of the Republic of South Africa.

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Book SynopsisThe 1976 Soweto uprising represented a real turning point in South Africa's history. Even to contemporaries it seemed to mark the beginning of the end of apartheid. This short history brings alive the sequence of events and delves into the significance the uprising had on South African politics.

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Book SynopsisThe women's league has played a large but little understood role in the history of the ANC. Over the years it has been headed by some powerful women including Albertina Sisulu and Winnie Mandela and has often gained public and media attention.

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Book SynopsisThabo Mbeki is the most important African political figure of his generation and a dominant figure in South African politics for 14 years. A pan-African philosopher-king who spent two decades in exile, as president of Africa's most industrialised state, he set out a sweeping vision of an African Renaissance.

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Book SynopsisJack Simons: Teacher, Scholar, Comrade is a pocket biography informed by personal knowledge of its subject, and firsthand experience of the ANC in exile in Zambia, as well as by research in the archives. Born in 1907, Jack Simons was one of the leading left-wing intellectuals - and one of the greatest teachers - in 20th century South Africa.Trade Review"Jack Simons was much more than a romantic revolutionary and public intellectual. He was interested in art, literature and religion. He was a walker and a lover of nature and the great outdoors. He was a good father, to many more than his own children, a gardener, and a cook. Above all, he was, as Nancy Gordon recalls, a 'warm mensch', who was totally committed to his vision of a non-racial, and ultimately socialist, South Africa". - Hugh Macmillan

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Book SynopsisZapiro comes of age in this 21st annual. Zuma once again takes centre stage for all the wrong reasons along with his cronies the Guptas and his nemesis Malema. It's the year of the hashtag. Each cartoon is worth a thousand words and helps us make sense of this crazy, beautiful country where fact is indeed stranger than fiction.

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Book SynopsisSol Plaatje is celebrated as one of South Africa's most accomplished political and literary figures. A pioneer in the history of the black press, editor of several newspapers, he was one of the founders of the African National Congress in 1912 and twice travelled overseas to represent the interests of his people.

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Book SynopsisAn intimate, inside look at the life of Sarah Palin as told by those who know her best.

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Book SynopsisAs President Obama's time in the White House draws to a close, this celebratory book documents his transformative accomplishments.

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Book SynopsisFor nine years, Carwyn Jones was at the helm of Welsh politics. As First Minister from 2009 to 2018, he led the governance of an increasingly devolving Wales through turmoil and success.Not Just Politics follows Carwyn from his roots in a small corner of Wales and childhood brought up as a Welsh speaker in Bridgend, to the 1980s miners'' strike which inspired a career in politics. After graduating with a degree in law from Aberyswyth, Carwyn juggled being a barrister and local councillor while also caring for his wife Lisa, who was diagnosed with leukaemia shortly after their marriage. As part of the first cohort of Welsh Government Ministers, Carwyn has been at the heart of the growing shift from Westminster to Cardiff, and as First Minister he oversaw landmark moments that put Wales firmly on the world stage.Trade ReviewThe must read life story of Carwyn Jones and his nine years as Wales' First Minister when he brilliantly led Welsh Labour to election victories and presided over major social reforms. * Gordon Brown *Candid and timely * Penarth Nub News *Few political autobiographies contain actual revelations...Which is why the one which comes in the memoirs of Carwyn Jones comes as almost a lightning bolt * The New European *

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Book SynopsisEncompassing a variety of cultural and institutional settings, these essays examine how state secretaries, prime ministers and favourites managed diplomatic personnel and the information flows they generated. They explore how these officials balanced domestic and international matters, and state and personal amitions.

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Book SynopsisTraces, contextualizes, and analyses the making of the late President of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser's image(s) in creative productions including novels, short stories, autobiographies and film.

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Book SynopsisWorld-leading experts take a multi-disciplinary approach to explore how presidents, including Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, the Roosevelts, Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Eisenhower, Reagan, Obama and Trump, are remembered in film, museums, public art, political invocations, pop culture, literature and evolving technological advancements.

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Book SynopsisBy drawing on previously unseen primary source material and exhaustive archival research, this book reveals the largely untold and fascinating narrative of the development of the The Freedom of Information Act, and demonstrates how this single policy issue transformed presidential behaviour.

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Book SynopsisThis book determines what can legitimately be regarded as the legacy of the Obama presidency and investigates how far the Trump administration has reversed it.

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Book SynopsisThis book evaluates the presidency of Donald Trump from a comparative, historical approach to connect his populist style to his predecessors.

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Book SynopsisDavid G. Lewis explores the transformation of Russian domestic politics and foreign policy under Vladimir Putin. Using contemporary case studies including Russia's legal system, the annexation of Crimea and Russian policy in Syria he critically examines Russia's new authoritarianpolitical ideology.

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Book SynopsisFeaturing a range of experts on the American presidency, this book offers both European and American perspectives on both the successes and failures of President Obama's tenure in the White House. Focusing primarily on domestic policy, these essays explain why Obama's widely anticipated moment of change did not fully materialise.

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Book SynopsisDonald J. Trump's presidency has delivered a seismic shock to the American political system, its public sphere, and to our political culture worldwide.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis‘I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest . . . But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.’ Long Walk to FreedomIn 1994, Nelson Mandela became the first president of democratic South Africa. Five years later, he stood down. In that time, he and his government wrought the most extraordinary transformation, turning a nation riven by centuries of colonialism and apartheid into a fully functioning democracy in which all South Africa’s citizens, black and white, were equal before the law. Dare Not Linger is the story of Mandela’s presidential years, drawing heavily on the memoir he began to write as he prepared to finish his term of office, but was unable to finish. Now, the acclaimed South African writer, Mandla Langa, has completed the task using Mandela’s unfinished draft and a wealth of previously unseen archival material. With a prologue by Mandela's widow, Graça Machel, the result is a vivid and inspirational account that tells the extraordinary story of the transition from decades of apartheid rule and the challenges Mandela overcame to make a reality of his cherished vision for a liberated South Africa.

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Book SynopsisA riveting, deeply personal account of history in the making—from the president who inspired us to believe in the power of democracy#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAACP IMAGE AWARD NOMINEE • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEWNAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times • NPR • The Guardian • Marie Claire In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency—a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil.Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed night of November 4, 2008, when he was elected 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the nation’s highest office.Reflecting on the presidency, he offers a unique and thoughtful exploration of both the awesome reach and the limits of presidential power, as well as singular insights into the dynamics of U.S. partisan politics and international diplomacy. Obama brings readers inside the Oval Office and the White House Situation Room, and to Moscow, Cairo, Beijing, and points beyond. We are privy to his thoughts as he assembles his cabinet, wrestles with a global financial crisis, takes the measure of Vladimir Putin, overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to secure passage of the Affordable Care Act, clashes with generals about U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, tackles Wall Street reform, responds to the devastating Deepwater Horizon blowout, and authorizes Operation Neptune’s Spear, which leads to the death of Osama bin Laden.A Promised Land is extraordinarily intimate and introspective—the story of one man’s bet with history, the faith of a community organizer tested on the world stage. Obama is candid about the balancing act of running for office as a Black American, bearing the expectations of a generation buoyed by messages of “hope and change,” and meeting the moral challenges of high-stakes decision-making. He is frank about the forces that opposed him at home and abroad, open about how living in the White House affected his wife and daughters, and unafraid to reveal self-doubt and disappointment. Yet he never wavers from his belief that inside the great, ongoing American experiment, progress is always possible.This beautifully written and powerful book captures Barack Obama’s conviction that democracy is not a gift from on high but something founded on empathy and common understanding and built together, day by day.

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Book Synopsis'The Capitol riot was our Chernobyl.'(Guardian interview, Jan 19th 2021)'An absolutely fascinating read.'Emily MaitlisJames Comey, former FBI Director and Sunday Times number one bestselling author of A Higher Loyalty, uses his long career in federal law enforcement to explore issues of justice and fairness in the US justice system.James Comey might best be known as the FBI director that Donald Trump fired in 2017, but he’s had a long, varied career in the law and justice system. He knows better than most just what a force for good the US justice system can be, and how far afield it has strayed during the Trump Presidency.In his much-anticipated follow-up to A Higher Loyalty, Comey uses anecdotes and lessons from his career to show how the federal justice system works. From prosecuting mobsters as an Assistant US Attorney in the Southern District of New York in the 1980s to grappling with the legalities of anti-terrorism work as the Deputy Attorney General in the early 2000s to, of course, his tumultuous stint as FBI director beginning in 2013, Comey shows just how essential it is to pursue the primacy of truth for federal law enforcement.Saving Justice is gracefully written and honestly told, a clarion call for a return to fairness and equity in the law.Trade ReviewAn absolutely fascinating read for anyone who wants to understand the workings of the US Justice System and American Politics more broadly. -- Emily Maitlis'The Capitol riot was our Chernobyl...I was sickened to watch an attack on the literal and symbolic heart of our democracy, and, as a law enforcement person, I was angered. I am mystified and angry that Capitol Hill wasn’t defended. It’s a hill! If you wanted to defend it, you could defend it, and for some reason it was not defended. I think that’s a 9/11-size failure and we’re going to need a 9/11-type commission to understand it so that we don’t repeat it.' (Guardian interview, 19th Jan 2021)'The Republican party needs to be burned down or changed. Something is shifting and I’m hoping it’s the fault breaking apart, a break between the Trumpists and those people who want to try and build a responsible conservative party, because everybody should know that we need one. Who would want to be part of an organisation that at its core is built on lies and racism and know-nothingism? It’s just not a healthy political organisation.' (Guardian interview, 19th Jan 2021) 'I just think, on balance, the country is better served by impeaching him [Trump], convicting him in the Senate and letting local prosecutors in New York pursue him for the fraudster he was before he took office.' (Guardian interview, 19th Jan 2021) * The Guardian interview Jan 19th, 2021 *

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Book Synopsis'The best American political biography since Obama's Dreams from My Father' GuardianNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA mayor's inspirational story of a Midwest city that has become nothing less than a blueprint for the future of American renewal.Once described by the Washington Post as "the most interesting mayor you've never heard of," Pete Buttigieg, the thirty-seven-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has now emerged as one of America's most visionary politicians. With soaring prose that celebrates a resurgent American Midwest, Shortest Way Home narrates the heroic transformation of a "dying city" (Newsweek) into nothing less than a shining model of urban reinvention.Elected at twenty-nine as the nation's youngest mayor, Pete Buttigieg immediately recognized that "great cities, and even great nations, are built through attention to the everyday." As Shortest Way Home recalls, the challenges were daunting?whether confronting gun violence, renaming a street in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., or attracting tech companies to a city that had appealed more to junk bond scavengers than serious investors. None of this is underscored more than Buttigieg's audacious campaign to reclaim 1,000 houses, many of them abandoned, in 1,000 days and then, even as a sitting mayor, deploying to serve in Afghanistan as a Navy officer. Yet the most personal challenge still awaited Buttigieg, who came out in a South Bend Tribune editorial, just before being reelected with 78 percent of the vote, and then finding Chasten Glezman, a middle-school teacher, who would become his partner for life.While Washington reels with scandal, Shortest Way Home, with its graceful, often humorous, language, challenges our perception of the typical American politician. In chronicling two once-unthinkable stories?that of an Afghanistan veteran who came out and found love and acceptance, all while in office, and that of a revitalized Rust Belt city no longer regarded as "flyover country" Buttigieg provides a new vision for America's shortest way home.Trade ReviewThe best American political autobiography since Barack Obama's Dreams from My Father.... Buttigieg writes unusually well for a politician.... Is it too much to imagine that America could elect a gay president? I don't think so.... Especially a man like this. -- Charles Kaiser * The Guardian *Personal, beguiling and quite moving as he talks about coming out and getting married... The story is told with brisk engagement ? it is difficult not to like him...When Obama wrote his memoir, the idea that the nation would soon put an African-American in the White House seemed beyond the realm of the possible. After reading this memoir written 25 years later, the notion that Buttigieg might be the nation's first openly gay president doesn't feel quite as far-fetched. -- Adam Nagourney * New York Times *In a sense, Buttigieg's book is a kind of antidote to J.D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy, a story of broken people in a broken place.... This is a comeback story of a place that got hit hard, survived and then began thriving again.... It's entirely true that a leap from mayor to president has been impossible in the past. But these pages make a pretty good case that city halls just might be better training schools for the presidency than attendance at any five years of congressional hearings combined. -- E. J. Dionne Jr. * Washington Post *If you were an early Barack Obama supporter a dozen or more years ago, you recall inching forward in your chair whenever he spoke. The words were so clear, the passion so strong, the message of hope so credible.... I suggest you watch the video of Pete Buttigieg at a CNN town hall. If that piques your interest, as it did mine, read his book, Shortest Way Home. -- Peter Funt * USA Today *Endearing ... might just restore your optimism -- Harriet Alexander * Daily Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis'It's a rollicking tale that brings to life the antic atmosphere of America in the 'Me' Decade' Wall Street Journal'A madcap chase... this is a well-written chronicle of 28 months when the world went slightly mad' Sunday Times'A suitably head-spinning account of LSD High Priest Dr Timothy Leary' Mail on SundayOn the moonlit evening of September 12, 1970, an ex-Harvard professor with a genius IQ studies a twelve-foot high fence topped with barbed wire. A few months earlier, Dr. Timothy Leary, the High Priest of LSD, had been running a gleeful campaign for California governor against Ronald Reagan. Now, Leary is six months into a ten-year prison sentence for the crime of possessing two marijuana cigarettes.Aided by the radical Weather Underground, Leary's escape from prison is the counterculture's union of "dope and dynamite," aimed at sparking a revolution and overthrowing the government. Inside the Oval Office, President Richard Nixon drinks his way through sleepless nights as he expands the war in Vietnam and plots to unleash the United States government against his ever-expanding list of domestic enemies. Antiwar demonstrators are massing by the tens of thousands; homemade bombs are exploding everywhere; Black Panther leaders are threatening to burn down the White House; and all the while Nixon obsesses over tracking down Timothy Leary, whom he has branded "the most dangerous man in America."Based on freshly uncovered primary sources and new firsthand interviews, THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA is an American thriller that takes readers along for the gonzo ride of a lifetime. Spanning twenty-eight months, President Nixon's careening, global manhunt for Dr. Timothy Leary winds its way among homegrown radicals, European aristocrats, a Black Panther outpost in Algeria, an international arms dealer, hash-smuggling hippies from the Brotherhood of Eternal Love, and secret agents on four continents, culminating in one of the trippiest journeys through the American counterculture.Trade ReviewFascinating...rigorously researched...[The Most Dangerous Man in America] offers the pleasures of the tick-tock genre. Much like Leary himself, the book is plenty of zany fun * The New York Times *One of the decade's most audacious and exciting stories, told with page-turning panache * The Boston Globe *...[A] rip-roaring tale of hallucinogenic drugs, revolutionary politics and an intercontinental standoff...Minutaglio and Davis have taken a largely forgotten chapter from the recent past and turned it into a vigorous page-turner * San Francisco Chronicle *It's a rollicking tale that brings to life the antic atmosphere of America in the 'Me' decade * Wall Street Journal *The Most Dangerous Man in America is a wild ride across time, space, and multiple cosmic planes during an era when America came close to losing -- or finding? -- its mind. Leary and Nixon: surely no other country on earth could have produced such a perfectly, surreally antithetical pair. Crack open this book and prepare to have your mind blown by the reality of this very strange tale -- Ben Fountain * PEN/Hemingway and O. Henry Prize-winning author of Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk and Brief Encounters with Che Guevara: Stories *A pitch-perfect, exhilarating work about one of the strangest chapters in the American experience, one so exciting that even the postscript rivets...A stroke of narrative genius * Booklist (Starred Review) *A riveting international chase between a tenacious but paranoid cat and a wily but delusional mouse... Minutaglio and Davis are superb storytellers, and throughout the narrative, they nimbly move between their two converging subjects. Their account is expertly detailed and blessedly fat-free * Kirkus (Starred Review) *The glory of [The Most Dangerous Man in America] is its fast-paced, rollicking narrative that brings the freakishness of the revolutionary 1970s to life. Bill Minutaglio and Steven L. Davis have pulled off a meticulous observation of their subjects with turns of phrases that pop with pleasure. I galloped through the book; could not put it down -- Jan Jarboe Russell * New York Times bestselling author of The Train to Crystal City *Our intrepid authors, pounding the present tense like the brake pedal on a runaway 18-wheeler, narrate a story more wild, inventive, and sex-drenched than a Dennis Hopper movie -- Glenn Frankel * Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of High Noon: The Hollywood Blacklist and the Making of an American Classic *A vivid, eye-opening alternate view of an especially bizarre period of American history...Far too strange to be fiction, the book brilliantly details an American tragedy of two men, each of whom considered the other to be the most dangerous man in America -- James Fadiman, PhD * Microdose researcher and author of The Psychedelic Explorers' Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys *

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Book SynopsisMartin Luther King Jr. is known for famous speeches such as I Have a Dream, and his ability to inspire the people of the United States to demand equality, regardless of the color of their skin. His ability to lead has cemented himself as one of America's greatest civil rights advocates.And in today's world, his wisdom and teachings are needed more than ever. Martin Luther King Jr., On Leadership chronicles the actions of Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and identifies the key leadership skills he displayed such as:* Practice what you preach* Take direct action without waiting for other agencies to act* Give credit where credit is due* Laws only declare rights, they do not deliver them* And much more...This book is part history and part guide to becoming a great leader, inspired by Martin Luther King Jr., an advocate to peaceful change while never wavering in making the opposition listen and give in.

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Book SynopsisIn EVERY DAY IS A GIFT, Tammy Duckworth takes readers through the amazing-and amazingly true-stories from her incomparable life. In November of 2004, an Iraqi RPG blew through the cockpit of Tammy Duckworth's U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter. The explosion, which destroyed her legs and mangled her right arm, was a turning point in her life. But as Duckworth shows in EVERY DAY IS A GIFT, that moment was just one in a lifetime of extraordinary turns.The biracial daughter of an American father and a Thai-Chinese mother, Duckworth faced discrimination, poverty, and the horrors of war -- all before the age of 16. As a child, she dodged bullets as her family fled war-torn Phnom Penh. As a teenager, she sold roses by the side of the road to save her family from hunger and homelessness in Hawaii. Through these experiences, she developed a fierce resilience that would prove invaluable in the years to come.Duckworth joined the Army, becoming one of a handful of female helicopter pilots at the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. She served eight months in Iraq before the attack that took her legs and nearly her life. She then spent thirteen months recovering at Walter Reed, learning to walk again on prosthetic legs and planning her return to the cockpit. But Duckworth found a new mission after meeting her state's senators, Barack Obama and Dick Durbin. After winning two terms as a U.S. Representative, she won election to the U.S. Senate in 2016. And she and her husband Bryan fulfilled another dream when she gave birth to two daughters, becoming the first sitting senator to give birth.From childhood to motherhood and beyond, EVERY DAY IS A GIFT is the remarkable story of one of America's most dedicated public servants.

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Book SynopsisAs chief of staff, Jean Becker had a ringside seat to the never-boring story of George Herbert Walker Bush's life post-presidency. Full of heart and wisdom, THE MAN I KNEW is a vibrant behind-the-scenes look into the ups and downs of heading up the office of a former president by one of the people who knew him best

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Book SynopsisIt doesn't require a strong imagination to get a sense of the mayhem Trump will unleash if he loses a closely contested election. It is no less disturbing to imagine Trump still insisting that he is the rightful leader of the nation. With millions of diehard supporters firmly believing that their revered president has been toppled by malignant forces of the Deep State, Trump could remain a force of constitutional chaos for years to come. WILL TRUMP GO? addresses such questions as:How might Trump engineer his refusal to acknowledge electoral defeat? What legal and extra-legal paths could he pursue in mobilizing a challenge to the electoral outcome?What legal, political, institutional and popular mechanisms can be used to stop him?What would be the fallout of a failure to remove him from office? What would be the fallout of a successful effort to unseat him?Can our democracy snap back from Trump?Trump himself has essentially told the nation he will never accept electoral defeat. A book that prepares us for Trump's refusal to concede, then, is hardly speculative; it is a necessary precaution against a coming crisis.

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Book SynopsisWith grit and grace, Katie Britt has tackled a lot that life's thrown at her. From working long days in her parent's hardware store, to finding her path at the University of Alabama and marrying the captain of the football team, to an extremely close call with a tornado that destroyed her house while she held her baby in her arms, to her upstart campaign for Senate, Britt has overcome setbacks, defied expectations and shocked the political establishment.So how did Britt become the youngest woman in the U.S. Senate? GOD CALLS US TO DO HARD THINGS offers the hard-earned lessons and common-sense advice that Britt gained from her experience - and it's the kind of stuff many young folks need to hear. Topics and themes include: * Focusing us on what you can control* Being unafraid to fail - while also taking criticism and tough love* Breaking past the limits we place on ourselves* Being a change agent - and not a title holder* Sweating the small stuff of details and processWarm, humble and often lighthearted, GOD CALLS US TO DO HARD THINGS is about how a determined young woman decided to enter the arena and make her mark. At a moment when politics feel so toxic and broken, Katie Britt proves that there's still a way to listen to your heart, serve and inspire.

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Book SynopsisWhen President Biden announced Janet Yellen as his choice for secretary of the treasury, it was the peak moment of a remarkable life. Not only the first woman in the more than two-century history of the office, Yellen is the first person to hold all three top economic policy jobs in the United States: chair of both the Federal Reserve and the President's Council of Economic Advisors as well as treasury secretary.Through Owen Ullmann's intimate portrait, we glean two remarkable aspects of Yellen's approach to economics: first, her commitment to putting those on the bottom half of the economic ladder at the center of economic policy, and employing forward-looking ideas to use the power of government to create a more prosperous, productive life for everyone. And second, her ability to maintain humanity in a Washington policy world where fierce political combat casts others as either friend or enemy, never more so than in our current age of polarization.As Ullmann takes us through Yellen's life and work, we clearly see her brilliance and meticulous preparation. What stands out, though, is Yellen as an icon of progress-the "Ruth Bader Ginsburg of economics"-a superb-yet-different kind of player in a cold, male-dominated profession that all too often devises policies to benefit the already well-to-do. With humility and compassion as her trademarks, we see the influence of Yellen's father, a physician whose pay-what-you-can philosophy meant never turning anyone away. That compassion, rooted in her family life in Brooklyn, now extends across our entire country.

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Book SynopsisThe inside story of how one president forever altered the most powerful legal institution in the country-with consequences that endure today By the summer of 1941, in the ninth year of his presidency, Franklin Roosevelt had moulded his Court. He had appointed seven of the nine justices-the most by any president except George Washington-and handpicked the chief justice.But the wartime Roosevelt Court had two faces. One was bold and progressive, the other supine and abject, cowed by the charisma of the revered president.The Court at War explores this pivotal period. It provides a cast of unforgettable characters in the justices-from the mercurial, Vienna-born intellectual Felix Frankfurter to the Alabama populist Hugo Black; from the western prodigy William O. Douglas, FDR's initial pick to be his running mate in 1944, to Roosevelt's former attorney general and Nuremberg prosecutor Robert Jackson.The justices' shameless capitulation and unwillingness to cross their beloved president highlight the dangers of an unseemly closeness between Supreme Court justices and their political patrons. But the FDR Court's finest moments also provided a robust defence of individual rights, rights the current Court has put in jeopardy. Sloan's intimate portrait is a vivid, instructive tale for modern times.

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