Political oppression and persecution Books

Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION A spectacular, definitive portrait of ordinary life within one of the world's most repressive states - North Korea. 'A most perceptive and eye-opening account of everyday life in North Korea' Jung Chang North Korea is Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four made reality: it is the only country in the world not connected to the internet; where Gone with the Wind is a dangerous, banned book; and where during political rallies, spies study your expression to check your sincerity. Nothing to Envy weaves together the stories of adversity and resilience of six residents of Chongin, North Korea's third-largest city. From extensive interviews and with tenacious investigative work, Barbara Demick has recreated the concerns, culture and lifestyles of North Korean citizens in a gripping narrative, and vividly reconstructed the inner workings of this extraordinary and secretive country. Includes an updated afterword by the author. 'Impossible to put down... Helps restore humanity to some of the world's most oppressed people' ObserverTrade ReviewA rare and valuable insight ... Nothing to Envy is a searchlight shining on a country cloaked in darkness -- Alastair Mabbott * Herald *Barbara Demick's achievement is to restore a measure of humanity to 23 million human beings. Many scholars have pored over North Korea's atrocious history, its fearful politics, abysmal economics and blood-curdling propaganda. No writer I know has done a better job of clothing these academic concerns with the rich detail of the lives of ordinary people - explaining, simply, what it feels like to be a citizen of the cruellest, most repressive and most retrograde country in the world -- Richard Lloyd Parry * The Times *A most perceptive and eye-opening account of everyday life in North Korea -- Jung ChangThis report on the lives of six of the citizens of totalitarian penal colony is unputdownable and deeply affecting, a worthy winner this week of the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-fiction -- David Sexton * Evening Standard *Taking the cases of six individuals and their families, Demick constructs a harrowing narrative of the North's slide into famine following the death of the elder Kim in 1994 ... The Kim dynasty, whose Stalinist cruelty Demick graphically chronicles, has shown remarkable staying power -- Simon Scott Plummer * Daily Telegraph *I loved it - I couldn't pull myself away. This is the first book I've read which tells me about the inner lives of individual North Koreans and the universal cruelty of that regime. Reading this book, I've learnt something about how it feels to be North Korean - it's not unimaginable anymore, but it's even more painful than I could have predicted -- Lindsey Hilsum, International Editor, Channel 4 NewsDemick weaves stories derived from interviews and conversations, conducted over a number of years, into a compelling narrative. Her book is a reminder that oral history is one of our greatest resources. Its use in Nothing to Envy makes for a valuable contribution to the literature on North Korea -- Charlotte Middlehurst * New Statesman *A fascinating study in the oral history of Korea in the last decade of the twentieth century ... Nothing to Envy is a fascinating work which highlights in the lives of the individuals concerned the triumph of the human spirit in the face of overwhelming adversity -- Oliver Rafferty * Irish Times *The shroud of silence and misinformation surrounding North Korea means these stories of six lives inside the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as told to Los Angeles Times journalist Barbara Demick by "defectors", are a revelation -- Emmanuelle Smith * Financial Times *Barbara Demick, the Beijing bureau chief of the Los Angeles Times, has occasionally been to the north, but on visits so strictly controlled as to be worthless. Talking with émigrés and escapees now living in the south has provided the material for this terrific, often gruelling work of reportage. It gives a harrowing, surreal glimpse of what she calls "this hermit kingdom", which is so secretive and little known that it is the only country on earth not connected to the internet -- Christopher Hart * Sunday Times *A fair, modest and informative book about North Korea, a country little known and less understood ... most of what her informants say is repeated in indirect speech, and I found their testimonies varied and convincing ... There is much to learn form this carefully written book that draws few conclusions beyond well-grounded individual cases. Barbara Demick says that in satellite pictures of the Far East, North Korea is an "area of darkness". She makes this black hole at least medium grey -- Jonathan Mirsky * Literary Review *Beijing-based journalist Demick draws on extensive interviews with North Koreans who have defected to the South, revealing the truth of ordinary life within Kim Jong-Il's bizarre and repressive Stalinist state * New Humanist *A lovely work of narrative non-fiction ... that offers extensive evidence of the author's deep knowledge of this country while keeping its sights firmly on individual stories and human details -- Dwight Garner * Scotland on Sunday *Eye-opening portrait of the downtrodden and monochrome lives of six ordinary citizens of North Korea ... Granta's comparisons with Stasiland are apt and you keep having to remind yourself this isn't fiction -- Caroline Sanderson * Bookseller *Nothing To Envy is based on her in-depth interviews with defectors - and their accounts are as harrowing as you would expect -- Siobhan Murphy * Metro *Writing a properly researched book on North Korea seems next to impossible. But in Nothing to Envy, Barbara Demick has done it ... Demick is thorough and fair on the troubled history of Korea -- Roger Hutchinson * Scotsman *In a detailed account of North Korea, Demick looks beyond the country's politics to engage with the human experience and suffering of its residents * Sunday Times *This remarkable book confirms our fears but does much more and is the deserving winner of the 2010 BBC Samuel Johnson Prize ... Barbara Demick is a reporter of impressive tenacity and thoroughness ... Many of those who defected have found their freedom hard to handle. Theirs have been lives twice blighted. But Demick does them proud -- Joan Bakewell * The Times *Barbara Demick, who has an easy winning style, introduces us to a county of suppressed impulses and state propaganda ... This compelling book, a worthy winner of the BBC Samuel Johnson prize, details the experiences of six North Koreans who defected to China or South Korea -- Ian Pindar * Guardian *I've never read anything quite like it ... Demick has unearthed some heartbreaking human stories -- William Leith * Evening Standard *Awarded this year's Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction, this book by the former Korea correspondent of the Los Angeles Times uses the accounts of six defectors to reconstruct everyday life under the secretive communist regime * New Statesman *A fascinating portrait of a population bred from birth to be state automatons ... Alongside the daring prison breaks and midnight escapes through icy rivers to reach China, the tales of everyday love and loss make Nothing to Envy impossible to put down ... Demick's important book, by illuminating previously hidden aspects of North Korean life, helps restore humanity to some of the world's most oppressed people -- Imogen Carter * Observer *This is an extreme book ... I've never read anything like it ... Demick has unearthed some heartbreaking human stories * Scotsman *This compelling account of life and death in Korea is eye-opening and often heart-rending. Demick's perceptiveness in describing the inner life of individual North Koreans both enthrals and horrifies. One of the most fascinating books of the year * Independent on Sunday *An elegant, honourable and meticulously referenced account of a country the author calls "grimly dysfunctional". It is an inspiring read. -- Celia Brayfield * The Times *Thoroughly deserving winner of the Samuel Johnson Prize. * Independent on Sunday *Much-praised 2010 winner of the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction, this is a painstakingly researched and gruelling account of the hardships and cruelties of life in the world's most isolated, eccentric and oppressive state -- Gideon Rachman * Financial Times *A story of epic stoicism and suffering and illuminated by such jaw-dropping details as the doctors who have to donate their own skin to conduct operations -- Brian Schofield * Sunday Times *A brilliant, timely work of very modern history and a deserving winner of the 2010 BBC Samuel Johnson prize -- Rob Attar * BBC History Magazine *Amy Bloom turned her unflinching gaze on the map of the human heart, finding solace in our ability to love no matter what -- Claire Allfree * Metro *gripping, revealing, enraging and unexpectedly inspiring -- Ursula Doyle, editorial director of Virago as the 2010 book she wished she had published * Guardian *A vivid picture of life in the Hermit Kingdom. It deserved the awards it has been winning * The Times *Redolent and disturbing, an account of real lives drawn from interviews with defectors from the shadowy (actually dark) and sinister world of North Korea -- Pete Irvine * Scotland on Sunday *A rare light on so hidden a country, and all the more remarkable for its unfailingly engaging humanity * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisAn edited collection Silvia Federici's work, spanning over twenty years, in which she provides a detailed history and critique of the politics of the commons from a feminist perspective.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewPraise for A Dying Colonialism "The writing of Malcolm X or Eldridge Cleaver or Amiri Baraka or the Black Panther leaders reveals how profoundly they have been moved by the thoughts of Frantz Fanon." -The Boston Globe

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Book SynopsisThe nation-state and the colonial state have always been the same thing: the ethnic and religious majorities of the former created only through the violent “minoritization” inherent in the latter. Assessing cases from the United States to Eastern Europe, Israel, and Sudan, Mahmood Mamdani suggests a radical solution: the state without a nation.Trade ReviewDemonstrates how a broad rethinking of political issues becomes possible when Western ideals and practices are examined from the vantage point of Asia and Africa. -- Pankaj Mishra * New York Review of Books *Argues for a wider, political approach to understanding historical violence rather than an individual, criminal one. Mamdani examines everything from the treatment of Native Americans to Nazism to South African apartheid. It is a complex and at times painful book, but history is often complex and painful, and trying to understand it is one of our few real paths to progress. -- Candice Millard * New York Times *Over half a century, Mamdani has carved out a reputation as a forceful and articulate critic of political modernity’s supposed peace-bringing qualities…Neither Settler nor Native is [his] most comprehensive exploration yet of the subject of majority–minority relations. In a comparative analysis of five countries…he locates the origin story of contemporary postcolonial political violence far back in history. -- Francis Wade * The Baffler *Mamdani makes a compelling case… Although the book’s scope is ambitious…it has a clear starting point: the invention of indirect rule as a technique of modern colonial governance…Mamdani draws on the details of his case studies to formulate some broad lessons for decolonizing politics today—most importantly, disaggregating the nation from the state and creating more inclusive forms of democratic politics in the wake of identity-based strife. -- Hari Ramesh * Boston Review *Provocative, elegantly written…with the aim of understanding the sources of the extreme violence that has plagued so many postcolonial societies. -- Fara Dabhoiwala * New York Review of Books *This book compels the reader to rethink the origin and development of the nation-state and its replication as inseparable from European colonialism, beginning with the establishment of the Spanish state through racialized ethnic cleansing and the 1492 deportations of Jews and Moors. In elegant prose with no wasted words or jargon, this original and brilliant work argues that the United States created the template for settler-colonialism, providing the model upon which the South African apartheid regime and the Israeli state were patterned, a model also used by the Nazi regime that adopted US race theory and catastrophic ethnic cleansing. The book provides not only profound historical analysis but also deeply researched descriptions of the current US and Israeli regimes of settler-colonialism and more. -- Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, author of An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United StatesBrilliant! A deeply learned account of the origins of our modern world. Situating the beginnings of the nation-state in the settler-colonial practice of creating permanent minorities, Mamdani illustrates how this damaging political logic continues into our own era, resulting far too often in today’s extraordinary political violence. Through his own elegant contrarianism, Mamdani rejects the current focus on human rights as the means to bring justice to the victims of this colonial and postcolonial bloodshed. Instead, he calls for a new kind of political imagination, one that will pave the way for a truly decolonized future. Joining the ranks of Hannah Arendt’s Imperialism, Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth, and Edward Said’s Orientalism, this book is destined to become a classic text of postcolonial studies and political theory. -- Moustafa Bayoumi, Brooklyn College, City University of New YorkNeither Settler nor Native analyzes seemingly disparate political histories to illuminate the intertwined logic of colonial statecraft and nation-building, the legacy of which was the violent manufacture of permanent majorities and minorities the world over. This is a masterwork of historical comparison and razor-sharp political analysis, with grave lessons about the pitfalls of forgetting, moralizing, or criminalizing this violence. Mamdani also offers a hopeful rejoinder in a revived politics of decolonization, not as romantic revolution but a renewed art of politics. Decolonization uses the tools of political engagement and negotiation to unsettle inherited identities, to convert perpetrators and victims into survivors, natives and settlers into citizens, nation-states into inclusive democracies. -- Karuna Mantena, Columbia UniversityA powerfully original argument, one that supplements political analysis with a map for our political future. -- Faisal Devji, University of OxfordAn urgent intervention in contemporary politics. In a searing critique of the nation-state, Mamdani persuasively argues that there will be no decolonization, no democracy, no peace until we de-link the association between the ‘nation’ and state power. -- Nandita Sharma * The Wire *Mamdani [is] one of the most perceptive and savviest analysts of postcolonial African history…A major achievement. A veritable testimony to the strength and resources of political thought that is a boon to his students and admirers, and to every other reader not enchanted by the discourses of the powers-that-be. -- S. Parvez Manzoor * Muslim World Book Review *

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Book SynopsisAmid ethnic violence, political corruption, and petty professional intrigue, an artist tries to live free of lies. Set during the last years of the Soviet Union, Stone Dreams tells the story of Azerbaijani actor Sadai Sadygly, who lands in a Baku hospital while trying to protect an elderly Armenian man from a gang of young Azerbaijanis. Something of a modern-day Don Quixote, Sadai has long battled the hatred and corruption he observes in contemporary Azerbaijani society. Wandering in and out of consciousness, he revisits his hometown, the ancient village of Aylis, where Christian Armenians and Muslim Azeris once lived peacefully together, and dreams of making a pilgrimage of atonement to Armenia. Stone Dreams is a searing, painful meditation on the ability of art and artists—of individual human beings—to make change in the world.

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Book Synopsis'[The Gulag Archipelago] helped to bring down an empire. Its importance can hardly be exaggerated' Doris Lessing, Sunday TelegraphWITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY NATALIA SOLZHENITSYNA vast canvas of camps, prisons, transit centres and secret police, of informers and spies and interrogators but also of everyday heroism, The Gulag Archipelago is Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's grand masterwork. Based on the testimony of some 200 survivors, and on the recollection of Solzhenitsyn's own eleven years in labour camps and exile, it chronicles the story of those at the heart of the Soviet Union who opposed Stalin, and for whom the key to survival lay not in hope but in despair.A thoroughly researched document and a feat of literary and imaginative power, this edition of The Gulag Archipelago was abridged into one volume at the author's wish and with his full co-operation.'Solzhenitsyn's masterpiece...The Gulag Archipelago helped create the world we live in today' Anne ApplebaumTHE OFFICIALLY APPROVED ABRIDGEMENT OF THE GULAG ARCHIPELAGO VOLUMES I, II & III

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Book Synopsis‘Joyous … a book that makes other journalists weep with envy’ The Economist 'Provocative, touching, and sensitively written … an eloquent, brilliantly researched account’ Sunday Times One of The Economist’s best books by foreign correspondents. A story of grim comedy amid the apocalypse and a celebration of the sheer indestructibility of the human spirit in a nation run riot: Michela Wrong’s vision of Congo/Zaire during the Mobutu years is incisive, ironic and revelatory. Mr Kurtz, the colonial white master, brought evil to the remote upper reaches of the Congo River. A century after Conrad’s 'Heart of Darkness' was first published, Michela Wrong revisits the Congo as the era of Mobutu Sese Seko collapses into absurdity, anarchy and corruption. Hers is a brilliant portrait of the grotesque as confusion takes over: pink lipsticked rebel soldiers mingle with tracksuited secret policemen in hotels where fin de siecle dinner parties are ploughing through hotel wine cellars rather than see bottles lost to the new regime. Congo, Africa’s richest country in terms of its natural resources, has institutionalised kleptomania: everyone is on the take. In a country where the minimum wage has dropped to below $150 a year, the government over twenty-five years spent $250 million providing courtesy cars. Congo has a vanity nuclear reactor built on a subsiding slope and one of its uranium rods is missing… The Mobutu reign, successor to Belgium’s failed imperial experiment in Africa, was fed by World Bank dollars and IMF loans. Having presided over unprecedented looting of the country’s wealth, Mobutu, like Kurtz, retreated deep within the jungle to his absurdly overwrought palace of marble floors and gold taps. A century on, nothing seems to have changed at the heart of Africa: it is lawless, graceless and it slaughters its own.Trade Review‘A brilliant account of Africa’s most extraordinary dictator told with wry wit and delicious irony… this book will become a classic’ The Economist ‘Provocative, touching, and sensitively written … an eloquent, brilliantly researched account and a remarkably sympathetic study of a tragic land’ Sunday Times ‘Michela Wrong made the so-called ‘Heart of Darkness' much less opaque to me when I visited the Congo. She can do the same for you if you read this brave and witty book’ Christopher Hitchens, author of God Is Not Great ‘Michela Wrong nimbly balances absurdity and outrage in her portrait of Mobutu Sese Seko and the wreckage he visited – with steady Western sponsorship – on the country he called Zaire. Her book is charged with pity and terror, and with the sort of sustaining humour that she rightly admires in Mobutu’s former subjects’ Philip Gourevitch, author of We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We will be Killed With Our Families

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Book SynopsisBobby Sands was 27 years old when he died. He spent almost nine years of his life in prison because of his Irish republican activities. He died, in prison, on 5 May 1981, on the sixty-sixth day of his hunger strike at Long Kesh Prison, outside Belfast. This book documents a day in the life of Bobby Sands. It is a tale of human bravery, endurance and courage against a backdrop of suffering, terror and harassment. It will live on as a constant reminder of events that should never have happened – and hopefully will never happen again.Trade Review'They were followed in 1982 by Bobby’s ‘One Day in My Life’ with an introduction by Seán Mac Bride. This was published by Mercier Press of Dublin and Cork whose founder and director John M. Feehan in 1983 wrote and published ‘Bobby Sands and the Tragedy of Northern Ireland’, an impassioned account of the political context of Bobby’s life and the war then raging. Feehan deserved credit for such work in the face of the prevailing censorship and demonization of republicans. With superb irony, he placed on the title page of his own book Margaret Thatcher’s words: “You have to be prepared to defend the things in which you believe and be prepared to use force to secure the future of liberty and self-determination.” ' - MÍCHEÁL MAC DONNCHA, An Phoblact

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Book SynopsisA sinister plot echoes the Opium Wars, as a weaponized drug threatens to bring America to its knees. Adam Drake's honeymoon bliss is shattered when he uncovers the Chinese Communist Party's ruthless scheme. Leaving his new wife behind, Drake embarks on a perilous mission to stop the CCP's new war on America. Plunged into a treacherous world where human life is cheap, Drake becomes a target for those who will stop at nothing to protect their deadly trade. As the body count rises and the stakes skyrocket, Drake races against time to track down the billionaire mastermind behind the supply chain. With everything on the line, Drake must risk it all in a final, desperate gambit to bring down the criminal empire and save countless American lives. A fast-paced, action-packed thriller with a plot that could be tomorrow's headline. _____________________________________________________________Praise for the Adam Drake series:5.0 out of 5 starsNonstop action5.0 out of 5 starsJust What I Needed This Week5.0 out of 5 starsThis will make you think about the future of America. 5.0 out of 5 starsA Chilling and Realistic Story5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent Political/Terrorist Thriller5.0 out of 5 starsA Series Born to Be Read

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Book SynopsisThis landmark book uncovers for the first time in detail one of the greatest horrors of the twentieth century: the vast system of Soviet camps that were responsible for the deaths of countless millions.Gulag is the only major history in any language to draw together the mass of memoirs and writings on the Soviet camps that have been published in Russia and the West. Using these, as well as her own original research in NKVD archives and interviews with survivors, Anne Applebaum has written a fully documented history of the camp system: from its origins under the tsars, to its colossal expansion under Stalin''s reign of terror, its zenith in the late 1940s and eventual collapse in the era of glasnost. It is a gigantic feat of investigation, synthesis and moral reckoning.

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Book SynopsisThis new study offers a fresh interpretation of apartheid South Africa. Emerging out of the author''s long-standing interests in the history of racial segregation, and drawing on a great deal of new scholarship, archival collections, and personal memoirs, he situates apartheid in global as well as local contexts. The overall conception of Apartheid, 1948-1994 is to integrate studies of resistance with the analysis of power, paying attention to the importance of ideas, institutions, and culture. Saul Dubow refamiliarises and defamiliarise apartheid so as to approach South Africa''s white supremacist past from unlikely perspectives. He asks not only why apartheid was defeated, but how it survived so long. He neither presumes the rise of apartheid nor its demise. This synoptic reinterpretation is designed to introduce students to apartheid and to generate new questions for experts in the field.Trade ReviewThis work is a first-rate, clearly written account of a bizarre 20th century political experiment. * Alexander du Toit, Times Higher Education *As a lecturer on modern South African history, I will find this book extremely valuable. It provides a strong, textured historical narrative and simultaneously engages critically in key conceptual debates. It is impressively up-to-date and draws on an immensely wide range of literature, much of which is helpfully laid out in a bibliographical annexure ... the book stands in any context as an important work of synthesis with a coherent, and sometimes controversial, set of arguments. * Clive Glaser, South African Historical Journal *Dubow's history emphasizes ideas and contexts, from global realities like the Cold War to philosophical, theological, and theoretical debates. It is a superb, easily readable, book that offers a comprehensive historical overview and nuanced analysis. * Fran Buntman, American Historical Review *Apartheid 19481994 is relevant for a broad audience. * Melanie Boehi, H-Soz-Kult *Table of ContentsPreface ; 1. The Apartheid Election, 1948 ; 2. The Consolidation of Apartheid ; 3. Sharpeville and its Aftermath ; 4. Apartheid Regnant ; 5. The Opposition Destroyed ; 6. Cracks within the System ; 7. The Limits and Dangers of Reform ; 8. A Balancing of Forces ; 9. Conclusion

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Book SynopsisSUNDAY TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLERDear Leader contains astonishing new insights about North Korea which could only be revealed by someone working high up in the regime. It is also the gripping story of how a member of the inner circle of this enigmatic country became its most courageous, outspoken critic.Jang Jin-sung held one of the most senior ranks in North Korea's propaganda machine, helping tighten the regime's grip over its people. Among his tasks were developing the founding myth of North Korea, posing undercover as a South Korean intellectual and writing epic poems in support of the dictator, Kim Jong-il.Young and ambitious, his patriotic work secured him a bizarre audience with Kim Jong-il himself, thus granting him special status as one of the 'Admitted'. This meant special food provisions, a travel pass and immunity from prosecution and harm. He was privy to state secrets, including military and diplomatic policies, how the devastating 'Scrutiny' was effected, and the real position of one of the country's most powerful, elusive men, Im Tong-ok. Because he was praised by the Dear Leader himself, he had every reason to feel satisfied with his lot and safe.Yet he could not ignore his conscience, or the disparity between his life and that of those he saw starving on the street. After breaking security rules, Jang Jin-sung, together with a close friend, was forced to flee for his life: away from lies and deceit, towards truth and freedom.Trade ReviewA searing true story that takes the reader to some of the most frightening places on earth...utterly compelling...real lyricism...As an historical document, this is an enormously important book that deserves the widest possible readership. As a story of survival, it is an instant classic. * The Times *Extraordinary...exciting...A rare portrait of life and death in North Korea...This year a United Nations commission of enquiry found that the Kim regime has committed crimes against humanity. The commission warned China that its treatment of Koreans violated international law. It recommended that the case be tried by the International Criminal Court or a UN tribunal. One day that will happen, and this book will be part of the indictment. * Sunday Times *As one of the most prominent North Koreans in exile in South Korea, Jang Jin-sung is eminently placed to interpret North Korea...His memoirs change the way we look at the country...they offer a radically different explanation of who holds power in North Korea and the historical sequence of events leading up to this situation. As such they are an absolute must-read for those who wish to formulate a sensible action plan [for the country]. -- Remco Breuker, Professor of Korean Studies, University of LeidenA fascinating insider account… a testament to Mr Jang’s literary flair * Economist *Harrowing...important and convincing...A major contribution to understanding what appears to be a nation impossible to understand * Observer *

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Book SynopsisIt was a massive, yet little-known landmark in modern history: in 1923, after a long war over the future of the Ottoman world, nearly 2 million citizens of Turkey or Greece were moved across the Aegean, expelled from their homes because they were of the 'wrong' religion. Orthodox Christians were deported from Turkey to Greece, Muslims from Greece to Turkey. At the time, world statesmen hailed the transfer as a solution to the problem of minorities who could not coexist. Both governments saw the exchange as a chance to create societies where a single culture prevailed. But how did the people who crossed the Aegean feel about this exercise in ethnic engineering? Bruce Clark's fascinating account of these turbulent events draws on new archival research in Greece and Turkey and interviews with some of the surviving refugees, allowing them to speak for themselves for the first time.Trade ReviewTwice a Stranger is a book that needed to be written, and Bruce Clark has achieved it superbly. Anyone with an interest in Greece or Turkey ought to read it * Daily Telegraph *[A] wise new book ... fascinating * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisPalestinians refuse to be silenced and their struggle must not be ignoredTrade Review'Roy is humanely and professionally committed in ways that are unmatched by any other non-Palestinian scholar' -- Edward W. Said'Roy is the leading researcher and most widely respected academic authority on Gaza today' -- Bruce Bennett Lawrence, Nancy and Jeffrey Marcus Humanities Professor of Religion at Duke University'A compelling study that continues the author's investigation of the dehumanising and destabilising effects of the Israeli occupation on Palestinian politics and society. Essential reading for those intent on understanding both the causes and the consequences of this conflict' -- Irene Gendzier, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Political Science at Boston University and author of 'Development Against Democracy' (Pluto, 2017)'For several decades, Sara Roy has been bringing her unique moral authority to bear on the searing injustice that continues to be Palestine. This indispensable collection confronts us all with the inhuman conditions of life for the people of Gaza, tempered by the courage with which Roy explores it, her insistence on the unbreakable link between Jewishness and justice, and her ultimate faith in the resilience of the Palestinian people' -- Jacqueline Rose, Professor of Humanities at the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities‘Offers a unique and insightful perspective’ -- ‘Washington Report on Middle East Affairs’‘Compelling’ -- ‘Morning Star’Table of ContentsList of Abbreviations Acknowledgments Introduction: “I can’t eat my lights” PART I - SETTING THE STAGE FOR CONFLICT IN GAZA: US POLICY FAILURES REDUX 1. Yes, You Can Work With Hamas: The US Approach to the Palestinian Territories is Inviting Disaster (July 17, 2007) 2. US Foreign Policy and the Israeli–Palestinian Conflict: A View From Palestine (September 2011) PART II - THE MARGINALIZED CENTER: THE WARS ON GAZA AND THEIR AFTERMATH 3. If Gaza Falls … (January 1, 2009) 4. Endgame in the Gaza War? (January 4, 2009) 5. Degrees of Loss (October 8, 2010) 6. Gaza After the Revolution (March 16, 2011) 7. It’s Worth Putting Hamas to the Test (January 6, 2012) 8. Before Gaza, After Gaza: Examining the New Reality in Israel/Palestine (2013) PART III - TOWARD PRECARITY: EXCEPTIONALIZING GAZA 9. Statement on Gaza before the United Nations Security Council (July 20, 2015) 10. Humanitarianism in Gaza: What Not to Do (Summer 2015) 11. The Gaza Strip’s Last Safety Net is in Danger (August 6, 2015) PART - IV UNDOING ATTACHMENT: CREATING SPACES OF EXCESS 12. Yes, They Are Refugees (March 22, 2018) 13. Floating in an Inch of Water: A Letter from Gaza (2018) 14. “I wish they would just disappear” (December 2018) PART V - A JEW IN GAZA: REFLECTIONS 15. A Jewish Plea (April 7, 2007) 16. A Response to Elie Wiesel (September 9, 2014) 17. Hunger (June 9, 2017) 18. Book Review, Palestinians in Syria: Nakba Memories of Shattered Communities (September 2018) 19. On Equating BDS with Anti-Semitism: A Letter to the Members of the German Government (June 4, 2019) 20. Tears of Salt: A Brief Reflection on Israel, Palestine and the Coronavirus (published here for the first time) PART VI - THE PASSING OF A GENERATION: COMMEMORATING COURAGEOUS PALESTINIAN VOICES 21. A Tribute to Eyad el-Sarraj (Spring 2014) 22. Remembering Naseer Aruri (2015) PART VII - THE PAST AS FUTURE: LESSONS FORGOTTEN 23. Gaza: Out of Sight (Autumn 1987; published here in English for the first time) 24. When a Loaf of Bread Was Not Enough: Unsilencing the Past in Gaza (published here for the first time) PART VIII - BETWEEN PRESENCE AND ABSENCE: PALESTINE AND THE ANTILOGIC OF DISPOSABILITY— CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS 25. An Unacceptable Absence: Countering Gaza’s Exceptionalism (published here for the first time) Epilogue: On the Falseness of Distinctions—“We are no different than you” (2014) Notes Index

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Book SynopsisA Must-Read Book of 2020 - TIME'Should be read around the world.' Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to Be an Antiracist'Garza is ferociously smart and laser-focused... her passion is infectious.' Guardian_______________Black Lives Matter began as a hashtag when Alicia Garza wrote what she calls 'a love letter to Black people' on Facebook. But hashtags don't build movements, she tells us. People do. Interwoven with Garza's experience of life as a Black woman, The Purpose of Power is the story of how she responded to the persistent message that Black lives are of less value than white lives by galvanizing people to create change. It's an insight into grass roots organizing to deliver basic needs - affordable housing, workplace protections, access to good education - to those locked out of the economy by racism. It is an attempt not only to make sense of where Black Lives Matter came from but also to understand the possibilities that Black Lives Matter and movements like it hold for our collective futures. Ultimately, it's an appeal to hearts and minds, demanding that we think about our privileges and prejudices and ask how we might contribute to the change we want to see in the world._______________'Alicia Garza combines immense wisdom with political courage to inspire a new generation of activists, dreamers and leaders... People like Alicia have been speaking up for decades. If we want to turn protest into substantive change, it's about time we finally listened.' David Lammy, MP'Insightful, compelling and necessary.' Bryan Stevenson, author of Just MercyTrade Review"Black lives matter" - Alicia Garza's love letter read around the world. The Purpose of Power is another love letter that should be read around the world. * IBRAM X. KENDI, bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist *In a year where a long overdue reckoning with racism is once again in the spotlight, Garza's call to action to create a sustainable movement bigger than hashtags and social media followings is urgent and critically necessary * TIME *Lessons from a 20-year career spent organizing for change. * INDEPENDENT, A Book of 2020 *Read it for a fresh dose of inspiration for activism and justice. * GLAMOUR *Incisive, uplifting, and exactly what the world needs right now... A must-read book. * STYLIST *Alicia Garza has articulated the aspiration of generations of Black people to be valued, protected, respected and free. This beautiful, important and timely memoir is insightful, compelling and necessary in this critical moment of reckoning with our history * BRYAN STEVENSON, author of New York Times bestseller Just Mercy *As co-founder of Black Lives Matter, Garza has been leading the fight against racism for years. * COSMOPOLITAN *Alicia Garza's story is the definition of powerful. Part memoir, part roadmap, this book will light the way for anyone who wants to follow in her inspiring footsteps. Fed up of hashtag activism? This is the read you've been waiting for. * VIV GROSKOP, author of HOW TO OWN THE ROOM *Alicia Garza combines immense wisdom with political courage to inspire a new generation of activists, dreamers and leaders. Transforming the very meaning of solidarity, unity and leadership, The Purpose of Power offers a new model of organizing that makes room for those willing to learn. People like Alicia have been speaking up for decades. If we want to turn protest into substantive change, it's about time we finally listened * DAVID LAMMY, MP *'The Purpose of Power is a must read... Anyone interested in turning the page of our contemptible past toward a brighter future should put this book on their reading list' * Congresswoman Barbara Lee *A rousing, rigorous book to enlighten and inspire. * CULTURE WHISPERER *In a year when a long overdue reckoning with racism is once again in the spotlight, Garza's call to action to create a sustainable movement bigger than hashtags and social media followings is urgent and critically necessary. * TIME *

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Book SynopsisThe top-secret archives of the apartheid government are slowly becoming public, including information aboutPrisoner 913: Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. In this book, the authors draw on a secret apartheid-era archive to reconstruct the history we thought we knew. The archive reveals the truth of the months that lead to Nelson Mandela's release.

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Book SynopsisThe bloody story of the rise of paramilitaries in Colombia, told through three characters -- a fearless activist, a dogged journalist, and a relentless investigator -- whose lives intersected in the midst of unspeakable terror. Colombia''s drug-fueled cycle of terror, corruption, and tragedy did not end with Pablo Escobar''s death in 1993. Just when Colombians were ready to move past the murderous legacy of the country''s cartels, a new, bloody chapter unfolded. In the late 1990s, right-wing paramilitary groups with close ties to the cocaine business carried out a violent expansion campaign, massacring, raping, and torturing thousands.There Are No Dead Here is the harrowing story of three ordinary Colombians who risked everything to reveal the collusion between the new mafia and much of the country''s military and political establishment: JesÃrÃValle, a human rights activist who was murdered for exposing a dark secret; IvÃVelÃuez, a quiet prosecutor who took up Valle''s cause and became an unlikely hero; and Ricardo CalderÃa dogged journalist who is still being targeted for his revelations. Their groundbreaking investigations landed a third of the country''s Congress in prison and fed new demands for justice and peace that Colombia''s leaders could not ignore. Taking readers from the sweltering MedellÃstreets where criminal investigators were hunted by assassins, through the countryside where paramilitaries wiped out entire towns, and into the corridors of the presidential palace in BogotÃThere Are No Dead Here is an unforgettable portrait of the valiant men and women who dared to stand up to the tide of greed, rage, and bloodlust that threatened to engulf their country.

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Book SynopsisNils Melzer, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, uncovers a systematic campaign to persecute Assange. He reveals that Assange has faced grave and systematic due process violations, judicial bias, collusion and manipulated evidence. He has been the victim of constant surveillance, defamation and threats. Melzer also gathered together consolidated medical evidence that proves that the prison has suffered prolonged psychological torture. Melzer's compelling investigation puts the UK and US state into the dock, showing how, through secrecy, impunity and, crucially, public indifference, unchecked power reveals a deeply undemocratic system. Furthermore, the Assange case sets a dangerous precedent: once telling the truth becomes a crime, censorship and tyranny will inevitably follow.Trade ReviewThis is a landmark book, the first by a senior international official to call out the criminality of Western governments, and their craven media echoes, in the persecution of Julian Assange. Mark the word, persecution, says Nils Melzer, as well as "our" responsibility for the ravages inflicted on an heroic man for telling forbidden truths and on democracy itself. -- John PilgerMelzer, a brave and honest man, tells the whole truth about the brutality and illegality of what is being done to Julian Assange. Read this book. -- Brian EnoThis is a harrowing account of a corruption of justice that crosses not only borders, but the United Nations itself. Melzer's work is an urgent corrective to a false history - and an act of public service. -- Edward SnowdenPolitically motivated and unjustified, the prosecution of Julian Assange by a mature democracy threatens and undermines press freedom, the rule of law, and the prohibition of torture. By painstakingly and rigorously documenting the facts, Nilz Melzer reveals the full disturbing account of how the human rights of Julian Assange have been violated over years. It's a story that must be told and from which we all must learn. -- Agnes Callamard, Secretary-General, Amnesty International, former UN Rapporteur on TortureA stunning account on how official secrecy, corruption and impunity suffocate the truth and poison the rule of law. The present-day prosecution of Julian Assange aims to complete what Richard Nixon tried and failed to do in the Pentagon Papers case fifty years ago: rescind the foundation of our republic, the First Amendment protection of freedom of the press. As Melzer argues compellingly, nothing less than our continued status as a democracy is at stake in the need to block Assange's extradition, drop the unconstitutional charges against him, or if necessary, win his acquittal. It is the legal scandal of the century. -- Daniel Ellsberg, whistleblower, the Pentagon PapersIt is as if all the Anglo-American frustrations over the disasters of Iraq, Trump and a teetering Washington political system have become concentrated in official hatred of one man: Julian Assange. This dissident faces a 175 year sentence but the soldiers who shot dead innocent Iraqi civilians- the war crime he exposed and is facing extradition for- are escaping even an investigation. The ferocious cruelty summoned for pursuit of Assange is anatomised here by Nils Melzer who implies a question that should chill us: Assange now, who next? -- Bob Carr, former Australian foreign minister and longest serving Premier of New South WalesA powerful investigation into the heart of darkness of our legal and political systems. Once you read this breath-taking book by Nils Melzer, you will know why Julian Assange is being tortured so terribly and why he should be celebrated as a true hero of the 21st century -- Srecko Horvat, author of Poetry From the FutureThe most compelling case yet made for Assange's defence and a swingeing indictment of politicians, security services and judicial authorities ... [Melzer] marshal[s] a wealth of detail and legal evidence to make his case. -- Mary Dejevsky * Independent *The most methodical and detailed recounting of the long persecution by the United States and the British government of Assange -- Chris Hedges * New Age *Enlightening ... The material Melzer has gathered over his two-year investigation is riveting, and his motivation is clear. -- Andrew Hankinson * Spectator *A remarkable book by a remarkable man ... The research, knowledge and considered thought Melzer has given to Assange's case is powerful and unanswerable. * Morning Star *Nils Melzer has given us an invaluable record of the whole judicial witch-hunt. His evolution from sceptic to truth-seeker is particularly admirable. -- Peter Whittaker * New Internationalist *

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Book SynopsisA deeply moving testimony to resistance, this unique collection is the first to showcase art and writing from the womenâs protests in Iran.Trade ReviewThe expressions of dissent and art from the women’s protests in Iran – in pictures Mahsa Amini died after being arrested by Iran’s morality police on 16 September 2022, sparking protests across the country, and an eruption in creative resistance followed. Woman, Life, Freedom, a book edited by Malu Halasa, documents the people and art of the struggle and is published by Saqi Books -- Sarah Gilbert * The Guardian *

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Book SynopsisThe first major book on the uprisings in Iran in 2022 and 2023Trade Review'A document of real optimism, and a thoughtful examination of the layers of work on which political change is built.' Guardian'The question on many policymakers’ lips at the moment is: "What does Iran want?" In the past few weeks the regime has launched missile strikes on Iraq, Syria and Pakistan … But this book by the Iranian-American historian Arash Azizi seeks to answer a different question — what do Iranians want?' The Times'In What Iranians Want, Arash Azizi achieves what has eluded many historians and journalists. His retelling of historical events is precise, illuminating, while his narrative style stays informal and accessible. What Iranians Want is an important achievement and a great addition to the rich library on modern Iran.' Maziar Bahari, author of Then They Came For Me'Deeply moving, thoughtful and thought-provoking, What Iranians Want is a homage to the Iranian people, especially women, and their struggles for life and freedom.' Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran'Iran is an enigma for many people, not least because the Western media usually only scratches the surface of this multi-layered society. Arash Azizi’s book is a guide for the perplexed. Not only does he deliver on the promise that the book’s title suggests, but he also goes beyond that by trying to explain "why" Iranians are fighting for women’s rights, freedom of expression, peace…and a "normal life". A truly absorbing and enlightening book for general readers and scholars alike!' Erfan Sabeti, editorial board member, Aasoo.org‘This passionate book… the author lays out the situation in a cleareyed manner, and readers will leave with a deeper understanding of Iran’s historical and current circumstances… In a brave, disturbing book, Azizi exposes the nature of the Iranian regime and applauds the courage of its opponents.’ Kirkus Reviews'We’re told history is written by the victors – if that’s the case, the Iranian people will win out. Arash Azizi’s new book is a passionate and urgent examination of the Women, Life, Freedom movement. Azizi lays out how this movement is a culmination of events – years of the Iranian people beating back and rising above their oppressors. Not only does Azizi study the root causes of the movement, but he shows people who are yearning to be who they are, who are standing firm in their ancient history, determined to save their country, even as they retain and celebrate their diversity. This is required reading.' Neda Toloui-Semnani, author of They Said They Wanted Revolution: A Memoir of My Parents‘An Iranian in exile, Azizi reveals his love for home and country in this exposé that supports the protest movement as much as it takes a critical stance… With insider insights into the Iranian protests for freedom and dignity, What Iranians Want declares love for people who refuse to cower.’ Foreword Reviews‘A popular book that addresses an authoritarian, possibly totalitarian regime, in the Middle East is a welcome addition to the field… this book decentralised the story of Iran away from the West.’ History With Jackson

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Book SynopsisDiscover unrelenting spirit and strength in the extraordinary true story of Franci: a woman who survived the holocaust against all of the odds''Achingly moving, gives much-needed hope. Deserves the status both as a valuable historical source and as a stand-out memoir'' Daily Express ''A story that needs to be heard'' 5***** Reader Review ______ In 1942 Franci Epstein, a young Jewish woman, was imprisoned in Terezin, a concentration camp close to her home in Prague. Few could expect anything other than death. But for Franci it was the start of a journey that would take her into the very heart of Nazi genocide. Through a combination of guile, ingenuity, endurance and sheer bloody mindedness, Franci survived not one but five death camps, including Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. In this astonishing memoir, unpublished for 50 years, Franci lays bare the appalling sacrifices she and other women had to Trade ReviewFranci's story is a testament to the human spirit . . . a mesmerising read * Jewish Chronicle *The extraordinary true story of the girl who survived the holocaust against all of the odds . . . In this astonishing memoir, she lays bare the appalling sacrifices she and other women had to make to survive * Eastern Daily Press *Achingly moving, gives much-needed hope . . . Deserves the status both as a valuable historical source and as a stand-out memoir * Daily Express *First-hand accounts of life in Nazi death camps never lose their terrible power but few are as extraordinary as Franci's War * Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisMalm unearths the shared roots of colonial adventurism in Palestine and fossil fuelled warfare.Israel’s pulverization of Gaza since October 7, 2023 is not only a humanitarian crisis, but an environmental catastrophe. Far from the first event of its kind, the devastation Israel has inflicted on Palestine since October 2023 has merely ushered in a new phase in a long history of colonization and extraction that reaches back to the nineteenth century. In this urgent pamphlet, Andreas Malm argues that a true understanding of the present crisis requires a longue durée analysis of Palestine's subjugation to fossil empire. Returning to the British empire’s first use of steam-power in war, in which it destroyed the Palestinian city of Akka, Malm traces the development of Britain’s fossil empire and shows how this enduring commitment to fossil energy continues to drive Western support for the destruction of Palestine today.

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Book SynopsisWho Killed My Father is the story of a tough guy – the story of the little boy I never was. The story of my father.‘What a beautiful book’ MAX PORTERIn Who Killed My Father, Édouard Louis explores key moments in his father’s life, and the tenderness and disconnects in their relationship. Told with the fire of a writer determined on social justice, and with the compassion of a loving son, the book urgently and brilliantly engages with issues surrounding masculinity, class, homophobia, shame and social poverty. It unflinchingly takes aim at systems that disadvantage those they seek to exclude – those who have their expectations, hopes and passions crushed by a society which gives them little thought.‘Édouard Louis is the vanguard of France’s new generation of political writers’ Evening StandardTrade ReviewEdouard Louis [is] the vanguard of France’s new generation of political writers -- Arjun Neil Alim * Evening Standard *Edouard Louis… speaks with an emotional authenticity and a stylistic confidence that is hard to ignore -- Tim Adams * Observer *This short work tackles the intersections of class, gender and sexuality... Louis gives voice to the way the cruel, crude hegemony of masculinity has essentially destroyed his father’s life, making him “as much a victim of the violence” he inflicted as of the violence he endured -- Lauren Elkin * Guardian *This valuable tale brings emotion to a discussion led by numbers, encouraging us to remember the real human lives affected by policy and political point-scoring -- Todd Gillespie * Financial Times *To understand what is happening now in France, or indeed, all over Europe, this is an essential text * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisSelected as a Book of the Year in 2017 in the Scottish Herald ''The beauty of the prose is in contrast with the horror anticipated by this superbly subtle narrative'' Kapka KassabovaIn 1971, on a routine outing through the Cambodian countryside, the young French ethnologist Fran-ois Bizot is captured by the Khmer Rouge. Accused of being an agent of ''American imperialism'', he is chained and imprisoned. His captor, Douch - later responsible for tens of thousands of deaths - interrogates him at length; after three months of torturous deliberation, during which his every word was weighed and his life hung in the balance, he was released. Four years later, the Khmer Rouge entered Phnom Penh. Fran-ois Bizot became the official intermediary between the ruthless conqueror and the terrified refugees behind the gate of the French embassy: a ringside seat to one of history''s most appalling genocides. Written thirty years later, Fran-ois Bizot''s memoir of his horrific experiences in the ''killing fields'' of Cambodia is, in the words of John le Carr-, a ''contemporary classic''.

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Book Synopsis***WINNER OF THE CRIME WRITERS'' ASSOCIATION ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION***''Meticulous and gripping - a thriller that disturbs for revelations about a singular act of murder, and the national security state which we call home'' Philippe Sands, author of East West StreetA groundbreaking examination of a terrifying murder and its aftermath by the bestselling author of Hanns and Rudolf and The House by the Lake.On 14 June 2006, police were called to 9 Downshire Hill in Hampstead. The owner, Allan Chappelow, was a writer and notorious recluse who had not been seen for several weeks. Inside the darkened house, officers found piles of rubbish, trees growing through the floor, and the body of Chappelow, battered to death, partially burned and buried under four feet of paper.The man eventually arrested on suspicion of his murder was a Chinese dissident named Wang Yam, who claimed to be the gTrade ReviewMeticulous and gripping – a thriller that disturbs for revelations about a singular act of murder, and the national security state which we call home. -- Philippe Sands, author of 'East West Street'A real-life procedural... which might have important implications for us all. -- Kathryn Hughes * Guardian *Blood on the Page is an In Cold Blood for our time – a brilliant and unflinching anatomy of a murder that is both brutal true crime and heartbreaking human tragedy. -- Tony ParsonsA fine and fascinating read, bolstered by exemplary research and nuanced insights. Absorbing. -- Tobias Jones * Observer *An absolute gem of a true-crime story ... The author's investigation, and his storytelling, are peerless. A superb book. * Evening Standard *

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Book SynopsisIn the terrible aftermath of the moorland battle of Culloden, the Highlanders suffered at the hands of their own clan chiefs. Following his magnificent reconstruction of Culloden, John Prebble recounts how the Highlanders were deserted and then betrayed into famine and poverty. While their chiefs grew rich on meat and wool, the people died of cholera and starvation or, evicted from the glens to make way for sheep, were forced to emigrate to foreign lands. Mr Prebble tells a terrible story excellently. There is little need to search further to explain so much of the sadness and emptiness of the northern Highlands today' The Times.

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Book SynopsisOrlando Figes'' The Whisperers is a groundbreaking account of daily life in the chaotic and paranoid atmosphere of Stalinist Russia. Exploring the inner life of a Russia where everyone was afraid to talk and society spoke in whispers, whether to protect friends and family - or to betray them - Orlando Figes tells the story of how Russians tried to endure life under Stalin''s Terror. Where a junior worker might inform on their superior to get their job; a husband to get rid of a lover; a neighbour out of petty jealousy. Where living a double life became the norm and yet, somehow, a few defied the state. Those who shaped the political system became, very frequently, its victims. Those who were its victims were frequently quite blameless. Drawing on hundreds of family archives from across the whole spectrum of Russian society, The Whisperers recreates the sort of maze in which Russians found themselves, where an unwitting wrong turn could either destroy a family or, perversely, later save it: a society in which everyone spoke in whispers - whether to protect themselves, their families, neighbours or friends - or to inform on them. ''Wonderful ... an amazing panoramic view ... I''ve rarely read anything like it''   Claire Tomalin ''Awesome ... one of the most unforgettable books I have ever read. I defy anyone to read it without weeping at its human suffering, cruelty and courage''    Simon Sebag Montefiore, Mail on Sunday ''This is a heart-rending book ... its importance cannot be overestimated ... This book should be made compulsory reading in Russia today''   Antony Beevor, author Of Stalingrad ''A masterful account of lost and stolen lives''   Sunday Times Orlando Figes is Professor of History at Birkbeck College, University of London. He is the author of Peasant Russia, Civil War, A Peoples Tragedy, Natasha''s Dance and The Whisperers. He lives in Cambridge and London. His books have been translated into over twenty languages.Trade ReviewWonderful ... an amazing panoramic view ... I've rarely read anything like it * Claire Tomalin *Awesome ... one of the most unforgettable books I have ever read. I defy anyone to read it without weeping at its human suffering, cruelty and courage ... a celebration of family love in an epoch of hellish cruelty ... now in this book these righteous heroes have their rightful memorial -- Simon Sebag Montefiore * Mail on Sunday *This is a heart-rending book ... its importance cannot be overestimated ... This book should be made compulsory reading in Russia today -- Antony Beevor, author of * Stalingrad *A masterful account of lost and stolen lives * Sunday Times *Awesome … one of the most unforgettable books I have ever read. I defy anyone to read it without weeping at its human suffering, cruelty and courage … a celebration of family love in an epoch of hellish cruelty … now in this book these righteous heroes have their rightful memorial -- Simon Sebag Montefiore * Mail on Sunday *Awesome … one of the most unforgettable books I have ever read. I defy anyone to read it without weeping at its human suffering, cruelty and courage … a celebration of family love in an epoch of hellish cruelty … now in this book these righteous heroes have their rightful memorial -- Simon Sebag Montefiore * Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisAn essay on the nature of human revolt, this book makes a critique of communism, how it had gone wrong behind the Iron Curtain, and the resulting totalitarian regimes. It also questions two events held sacred by the left wing, the French Revolution of 1789 and the Russian Revolution of 1917.

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Book SynopsisBringing into harsh focus the daily struggle for existence in a Soviet gulag, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn''s One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is translated by Ralph Parker in Penguin Modern Classics. This brutal, shattering glimpse of the fate of millions of Russians under Stalin shook Russia and shocked the world when it first appeared. Discover the importance of a piece of bread or an extra bowl of soup, the incredible luxury of a book, the ingenious possibilities of a nail, a piece of string or a single match in a world where survival is all. Here safety, warmth and food are the first objectives. Reading it, you enter a world of incarceration, brutality, hard manual labour and freezing cold - and participate in the struggle of men to survive both the terrible rigours of nature and the inhumanity of the system that defines their conditions of life.Though twice-decorated for his service at the front during the Second World War, Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008) was arrested in 1945 for making derogatory remarks about Stalin, and sent to a series of brutal Soviet labour camps in the Arctic Circle, where he remained for eight years. Released after Stalin''s death, he worked as a teacher, publishing his novel One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich with the approval of Nikita Khrushchev in 1962, to huge success. His 1967 novel Cancer Ward, as well as his magnum opus The Gulag Archipelago, were not as well-received by Soviet authorities, and not long after being awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1970, Solzhenitsyn was deported from the USSR. In 1994, after twenty years in exile, Solzhenitsyn made his long-awaited return to Russia.If you enjoyed One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, you might also like Yevgeny Zamyatin''s We, available in Penguin Classics.''It is a blow struck for human freedom all over the world ... and it is gloriously readable''Sunday Times

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Book Synopsis**Winner of the Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose**''A devastating front-line account of the police killings and the young activism that sparked one of the most significant racial justice movements since the 1960s: Black Lives Matter ... Lowery more or less pulls the sheet off America ... essential reading'' Junot Díaz, The New York Times, Books of 2016''Electric ... so well reported, so plainly told and so evidently the work of a man who has not grown a callus on his heart'' Dwight Garner, The New York Times, ''A Top Ten Book of 2016''''I''d recommend everyone to read this book ... it''s not just statistics, it''s not just the information, but it''s the connective tissue that shows the human story behind it. I really enjoyed it'' Trevor Noah, host of Comedy Central''s ''The Daily Show''A deeply reported book on the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement, offering unparalleled insight inTrade ReviewA courageous chronicle of how police violence sparked a political movement ... A century and a half after slavery, and 50 years since the end of legal segregation, They Can't Kill Us All impressively brings us up to date with America's fraught history of racial injustice -- K Biswas * New Statesman *A devastating front-line account of the police killings and the young activism that sparked one of the most significant racial justice movements since the 1960s: Black Lives Matter. In his quest to understand how and why this movement sprang up when it did, Lowery seems to have been everywhere and spoken to everyone (his interview of Alicia Garza is especially noteworthy). Lowery more or less pulls the sheet off America, exposing the malign disavowals and horrendous racial structures and logics that make the unjust deaths of young men like Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Sean Bell not only possible but inevitable. As a primer for the Black Lives Matter movement and as a meditation on the death-grip that white supremacy has on the American soul, "They Can't Kill Us All" is essential reading -- Junot Diaz, 'Book of the Year' * The New York Times *Electric... So well reported, so plainly told and so evidently the work of a man who has not grown a callus on his heart... Valuable for many reasons -- Dwight Garner * New York Times *Lowery is unflinchingly honest...a skillful reporter and storyteller. He takes the reader through the laborious task of reportage with a humanity and forthrightness, making this book more than just a catalog of tragedy. He succinctly presents a story of human grief * New York Times Book Review *You've really captured it. One reason I'd recommend everyone to read this book is because it's not just statistics, it's not just the information, but it's the connective tissue that shows the human story behind it. I really enjoyed it * Trevor Noah, host of Comedy Central's 'The Daily Show' *Vital and important. * Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisOn November 10, 1995, the Nigerian military government under General Sani Abacha executed dissident writer Ken Saro-Wiwa along with eight other activists, and the international community reacted with outrage. The response was quick, decisive, and nearly unanimous: Nigeria is an outcast in the global village. The events that led up to Saro-Wiwa''s execution mark Nigeria''s decline from a post-colonial success story to its current military dictatorship, and few writers have been more outspoken in decrying and lamenting this decline than Nobel Prize laureate and Nigerian exile Wole Soyinka.In The Open Sore of a Continent, Soyinka, whose own Nigerian passport was confiscated 1994, explores the history and future of Nigeria in a compelling jeremiad that is as intense as it is provocative, learned, and wide-ranging. He deftly explains the shifting dramatis personae of Nigerian history and politics , arguing that `a glance at the mildewed tapestry of the stubbornly unfinished nation edifice''Trade Reviewa great work by a great writer on the grave travails of a potentially great nation * Moffat Ekoriko, The Observer *a bold and stimulating book ... required reading for anyone who wishes to examine critically the present turmoil in Africa. * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisAuthoritarian states work hard to manage their images abroad. They invest in foreign-facing media, hire public relations firms, tout their popular celebrities, and showcase their successes to elite and popular foreign audiences. However, there is a dark side to these efforts that is sometimes overlooked. Authoritarian states try to obscure or censor bad news about their governments and often discredit their critics abroad. In extreme cases, authoritarian states intimidate, physically attack, or even murder their opponents overseas. All states attempt to manage their global image to some degree, but authoritarian states in the post-Cold War era have special incentives to do so given the predominance of democracy as an international norm.This book is about how authoritarian states manage their image abroad using both promotional tactics of persuasion and obstructive tactics of repression. Alexander Dukalskis looks at the tactics that authoritarian states use for image management and the ways in which their strategies vary from one state to another. Moreover, Dukalskis looks at the degree to which some authoritarian states succeed in using image management to enhance their internal and external security, and, in turn, to make their world safe for dictatorship.Making the World Safe for Dictatorship uses a diverse array of data, including interviews, cross-national data on extraterritorial repression, examination of public relations filings with the United States government, analysis of authoritarian propaganda, media frequency analysis, and speeches and statements by authoritarian leaders. Dukalskis also builds a new dataset--the Authoritarian Actions Abroad Database--that uses publicly available information to categorize nearly 1,200 instances in which authoritarian states repressed their critical exiles abroad, ranging from vague threats to confirmed assassinations. The book looks closely at three cases, China, North Korea, and Rwanda, to understand in more detail how authoritarian states manage their image abroad using combinations of promotional and obstructive tactics. The result is a new way of thinking about the international dimensions of authoritarian politics.Trade ReviewThis book carries the authoritarianism scholarship forward with a comprehensive analytical framework, a freely available database and rich interview data. It will appeal to academics, policymakers and foreign correspondents who are considering working in China * Chi Zhang, Europe-Asia Studies *The unfortunate conclusion is that the world is becoming ever safer for dictators. Dukalskis builds the framework to untangle the growing and insidious power of authoritarians to sell dictatorship and crush dissent. * A. R. Brunello, CHOICE *By connecting concepts such as authoritarian soft power and public diplomacy to extraterritorial repression, Dukalskis shows how autocratic regimes shape global norms. ... Dukalskis builds the framework to untangle the growing and insidious power of authoritarians to sell dictatorship and crush dissent. Highly recommended. * CHOICE *Alexander Dukalskis's intriguing book, in which he puts forward the concept of 'authoritarian image management', defined as 'comprising efforts by the state or its proxies to enhance or protect the legitimacy of the state's political system for audiences outside its borders'. * Falk Hartig, International Affairs *It is difficult to combine approaches from Comparative Politics and International Relations in ways that both speak to contemporary issues, yet also provide scholars with a framework that could be applied to other cases. Dukalskis deftly accomplishes this task in Making the World Safe for Dictatorship. * Thomas Bruce, Democratization *Intriguing * G. John Ikenberry, Foreign Affairs *This is an outstanding book! While we routinely analyze domestic authoritarian politics or study how international factors affect national politics, Dukalskis turns the tables. His ideas about how authoritarian regimes shape their image abroad are not only theoretically lucid and innovative, but the abundance of empirical information that is so skillfully weaved together is equally impressive. Dukalskis is to be applauded for a pioneering book that will serve as the reference point for a future research area that—nolens volens—will become more and more pressing. * Johannes Gerschewski, WZB Berlin Social Science Center *Making the World Safe for Dictatorship is a fascinating survey of the techniques of authoritarian image management, from propaganda and PR aimed at international audiences to the use of censorship, threats, and coercion abroad. Dukalskis' book sheds light on and provides a framework for analyzing an important global phenomenon: the use of extraterritorial mechanisms by authoritarian regimes to buttress and secure their rule. * Sheena Greitens, The University of Texas at Austin *As Making the World Safe for Dictatorship demonstrates, today's autocracies are not hermit kingdoms ruled by simple-minded dictators. To the contrary, they are sophisticated regimes that use transnational connections to shore up their power. With evidence from China, Rwanda, and North Korea, Dukalskis offers a compelling framework that integrates the repressive and image-making logics of transnational authoritarianism. By doing so, he radically expands our understanding of how such regimes operate in our globalized world. * Edward Schatz, University of Toronto, author of Slow Anti-Americanism *This is an excellent book that represents a major contribution to the field of study on authoritarian politics. Alexander Dukalskis has written a nuanced and highly illuminating study of the ways in which authoritarian regimes seek to manage their image abroad and shape the international environment to their own needs. The book includes a sophisticated theoretical framework that identifies the motivations, tactics, and outcomes behind these image management efforts, and it supports the theoretical arguments with innovative and original data. It is essential reading for scholars and practitioners interested in the international politics of authoritarian rule. * Oisín Tansey, King's College London *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Chapter 1 - Introduction: Making the World Safe for Dictatorship Chapter 2 - The Motivations Behind Authoritarian Image Management Chapter 3 - Mechanisms of Authoritarian Image Management Chapter 4 - Selling Dictatorship & Silencing Dissent: A Global Snapshot Chapter 5 - Controlling Critical Messengers: Foreign Correspondents in China Chapter 6 - Promoting & Controlling the China Dream: China's External Propaganda and Repression Chapter 7 - Projecting Peace & Prosperity: Authoritarian Image Management and RPF Rwanda Chapter 8 - Coping with a Post-Communist World: North Korea Chapter 9 - Conclusion: Looking Backward, Forward, and Inward References Appendix 1: PR & Lobbying Data by Authoritarian States in the United States, 2018-2019 Appendix 2: Authoritarian Actions Abroad Database (AAAD) - Codebook Appendix 3: Pro-DPRK Groups with Internet Presences

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Book SynopsisThe searing accounts of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Evgeniia Ginsberg and Varlam Shalamov opened the world''s eyes to the terrors of the Soviet Gulag. But not until now has there been a memoir of life inside the camps written from the perspective of an actual employee of the Secret police. In this riveting memoir, superbly translated by Deborah Kaple, Fyodor Mochulsky describes being sent to work as a boss at the forced labor camp of Pechorlag in the frozen tundra north of the Arctic Circle. Only twenty-two years old, he had but a vague idea of the true nature of the Gulag. What he discovered was a world of unimaginable suffering and death, a world where men were starved, beaten, worked to death, or simply executed. Mochulsky details the horrific conditions in the camps and the challenges facing all those involved, from prisoners to guards. He depicts the power struggles within the camps between the secret police and the communist party, between the political prisoners (most of whom had beTrade ReviewGives us a fascinating insight into the mind of a once-loyal Stalinist. * Fydor Vasilevich Mochulsky, Times Literary Supplement *original and suprising book * New York Review of Books *unique insight * The Spectator *Gulag Boss is essential reading and I could hardly put it down. * Literary Review *This tension between what Mochulsky saw as his duty and the painful reality of the Gulag runs throughout his memoir. This is perhaps what makes Gulag Boss such an important book. It brings us close to understanding why and how someone like Mochulsky could be reconciled to working within such a repressive apparatus, in the light of his own sense of responsibility. * Peter Whitewood, University of Leeds, European History Quarterly *Scholars, students and the lay public all have much to learn, contemplate and question in readingMochulsky's unforgettable memoir. * Brigid O'Keeffe, Europe-Asia Studies. *European History QuarterlyTable of ContentsIntroduction by Deborah Kaple ; Preface by Fyodor Mochulsky ; Part 1: Gulag from the Outside ; Chapter 1. The NKVD: Villain or Protector? ; Chapter 2. First Acquaintance with Gulag NKVD: Meeting at the Central Committee of the CPSU ; Chapter 3. Meeting in the Cadres Department of Gulag NKVD ; Chapter 4. 45 Days to Pechorlag ; Part 2: Gulag from the Inside ; Chapter 5. At the Construction Administration ; Chapter 6. Unit Foreman. First Contingent of Prisoners: Soviet Volunteer Ski Troops in the Finnish War ; Chapter 7. The Unit Bosses ; Chapter 8. A Change in Leadership at Pechorlag ; Chapter 9. Transferred to the 93rd Unit. Labor Force: Hardened Criminals ; Chapter 10. Attempted Prisoner Revolt in the 93rd Unit ; Chapter 11. Boss and Foreman at the 93rd Unit. Labor Force: Political Prisoners ; Chapter. 12. Threat of Arrest ; Chapter 13. The War ; Chapter 14. Illness ; Chapter 15. Recovery and Return to Work in the Southern Part of the Camp ; Chapter 16. Boss of a Militarized Section. Labor Force: Captured German Prisoners of War ; Chapter 17. Boss of a Railway Division. Labor Force: Professional Railwaymen ; Chapter 18. The <"Liberated>" Secretary of the Communist Youth Organization ; Chapter 19. Fascist Military Landing Force ; Chapter 20. Deputy Boss in the Political Department for Komsomol Work at the NKVD's Road Building Camp No. 3 ; Part 3: Interesting Asides ; Chapter 21. Some Railroad Recollections ; Chapter 22. Peschanka, a Village of De-Kulakized People on the River Pechora ; Chapter 23. The Countryside of Komi on the River Usa ; Chapter 24. Women at Pechorlag ; Chapter 25. A Fellow Traveler from Abez to Pechora ; Part 4: Final Words ; Chapter 26. The End of My Story ; Chapter 27. The Real Essence of the Gulag ; Afterword: The Nature of Memoir ; Appendix 1: Pretexts for Arrest during the Stalin Period ; Appendix 2: Article 58 of the RSFSR Criminal Code ; Appendix 3: Glossary ; Acknowledgments ; Selected Bibliography

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Book SynopsisConquered in 1492 and colonized by invading Castilians, the city and kingdom of Granada faced radical changes imposed by its occupiers throughout the first half of the sixteenth century. This title provides scholars in a range of fields with an example of resistance in the face of oppression.Trade Review"This is an original and audacious work that heightens the political import of Francisco Nunez Muley's Memorandum even as it highlights its relevance for modern readers interested in the current relations between Islam and the West. Scholars in the humanities will find these intercultural dialogues with Islam to be an extraordinary resource." (Maria Antonia Garces, Cornell University)"

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Book SynopsisHow does religion stimulate and feed imperial ambitions and violence? This title identifies three core components of an imperial theology that have transhistorical and contemporary relevance: dualistic ethics, a theory of divine election, and a sense of salvific mission. It shows how the religious ideas shaped Achaemenian practice.Trade Review"The most important book about religion and terror since Mark Juergensmeyer's Terror in the Mind of God.... Both people of faith and others urgently need to consider our global destination. Bruce Lincoln helps in that endeavor by throwing into sharp relief the core issues about the relation between religion, the Enlightenment, multiple modernities, and what comes next." - John R. Hall, Journal of Religion"

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Book SynopsisThis study of Hutu refugees from Burundi, driven into exile after their 1972 insurrection against the Tutsi was suppressed, shows how experiences of dispossession and violence are remembered and turned into narratives, and how this process helps to construct identities such as Hutu and Tutsi.

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Book SynopsisThe kingdom of Granada faced radical changes imposed by its occupiers including conversion of its native Muslim population. This title attempts to lodge a protest against assimilationist laws that required converted Muslims in Granada to dress, speak, eat, marry, celebrate festivals, and bury their dead exactly as the Castilian settler population.Trade Review"This is an original and audacious work that heightens the political import of Francisco Nunez Muley's Memorandum even as it highlights its relevance for modern readers interested in the current relations between Islam and the West. Scholars in the humanities will find these intercultural dialogues with Islam to be an extraordinary resource." - Maria Antonia Garces, Cornell University"

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Book SynopsisThe essays collected in "Persecution and the Art of Writing" all deal with one problem the relation between philosophy and politics. Here, Strauss sets forth the thesis that many philosophers, especially political philosophers, have reacted to the threat of persecution by disguising their most controversial and heterodox ideas."

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Book SynopsisIn the twenty years that followed the Arab-Israeli war of 1948, 800,000 Jews left their homes in Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Morocco, and several other Arab countries. This book reconstructs the circumstances in which Jewish communities left the Arab world.Trade ReviewAn excellent in-depth piece of research into the Jewish assets issue. -- Moshe Gat The Journal of Israeli History It combines the best qualities of persistence and detachment in the research process and moral committment and empathy in presenting and evaluating the evidence gathered from research. -- Joel Beinin American Historical Review This book is a must-read for anyone dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but it is particularly relevant for Jews from the Arab and Muslim world, for whom it will provide useful and up-to-date data and a deep understanding of the issue. -- Sami Shalom Chetrit Journal of Palestine Studies An important contribution to the study of Middle Eastern and North African Jews as well as to minorities studies, Israeli politics, and Jewish organizations. Jewish Book WorldTable of ContentsList of Tables Abbreviations Acknowledgments Note on Transliteration Introduction 1. The Loss of Jewish Property in the Arab World 2. Jewish Claims in the Context of the Arab-Israeli Conflict and the Peace 3. The Status of Jewish Property Claims Today Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisYang Jisheng''s Tombstone is the book that broke the silence on of one of history''s most terrible crimesMore people died in Mao''s Great Famine than in the entire First World War, yet this story has remained largely untold, until now. Still banned in China, Tombstone draws on the author''s privileged access to official and unofficial sources to uncover the full human cost of the tragedy, and create an unprecedented work of historical reckoning.''A book of great importance'' Jung Chang, author of Wild Swans''The first proper history of China''s great famine ... So thorough is his documentation that some are already calling Yang China''s Solzhenitsyn'' Anne Applebaum, author of Gulag: A HistoryTrade ReviewA book of great importance -- Jung Chang, author of 'Wild Swans'The first proper history of China's great famine ... So thorough is his documentation that some are already calling Yang "China's Solzhenitsyn" -- Anne Applebaum, author of 'Gulag: A History'In 1989 hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Chinese died in the June Fourth massacre in Beijing, and within hours hundreds of millions of people around the world had seen images of it on their television screens. In the late 1950s, also in Communist China, roughly the inverse happened: thirty million or more died while the world, then and now, has hardly noticed. If the cause of the Great Famine had been a natural disaster, this double standard might be more understandable. But the causes, as Yang Jisheng shows in meticulous detail, were political. How can the world not look now? -- Perry Link, University of California, RiversideThough a sense of deep anger imbues Yang Jisheng's book, it is all the more powerful for its restraint ... Tombstone meticulously demonstrates that the famine was not only vast, but manmade; and not only manmade but political, born of totalitarianism -- Tania Branigan * Guardian *Tombstone is not just a history but a political sensation ... rich with details ... there is no doubting Yang Jisheng's immense political courage in compiling and writing it ... His book is not just a tombstone for his father and other famine victims, but for the reputation of the Communist party's leadership at a time when they should have acted -- Rana Mitter * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisScholars from across law and internet and media studies examine the human rights implications of today's platform society.Today such companies as Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Twitter play an increasingly important role in how users form and express opinions, encounter information, debate, disagree, mobilize, and maintain their privacy. What are the human rights implications of an online domain managed by privately owned platforms? According to the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, adopted by the UN Human Right Council in 2011, businesses have a responsibility to respect human rights and to carry out human rights due diligence. But this goal is dependent on the willingness of states to encode such norms into business regulations and of companies to comply. In this volume, contributors from across law and internet and media studies examine the state of human rights in today's platform society.The contributors consider the “dataficationR

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Book SynopsisExamining Stalin's reign of terror, this text argues that the Soviet people were not simply victims but also actors in the violence, criticisms and local decisions of the 1930s. It suggests that more believed in Stalin's quest to eliminate internal enemies than were frightened by it.

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