Political parties and party platforms Books

Book SynopsisFollowing the Arab Spring, Syria descended into civil and sectarian conflict. It has since become a fractured warzone which operates as a breeding ground for new terrorist movements including ISIS as well as the root cause of the greatest refugee crisis in modern history. In this important book, former Special Envoy of the Netherlands to Syria, Nikolaos van Dam, explains the recent history of Syria, covering the growing disenchantment with the Asad regime, the chaos of civil war and the fractures which led to an immense amount of destruction in the refined social fabric of what used to be the Syrian nation. Through an in-depth examination, van Dam traces political developments within the Asad regime and the various opposition groups from the Arab Spring to the present day, and provides a deeper insight into the conflict and the possibilities and obstacles for reaching a political solution.Trade Review'[A] monumental work on Syrian power politics' - Robert Fisk, The Independent, 'An excellent book' - Patrick Seale, 'An admirable study... invaluable for anyone with a serious interest in Middle Eastern politics' - Peter Mansfield, 'The most informative explanation of the effects of sectarianism and regionalism on Syrian politics' - Philip S. Khoury, MERIP Reports, '[An] excellent study of the sectarian bases of Syrian politics' - Foreign Affairs, 'Only a handful of important books have been written on modern Syria; and Nikolaos van Dam's The Struggle for Power in Syria is one of them' - Joshua Landis, International Journal of Middle East Studies, 'Nikolaos van Dam is a rare species: An academic analyst and an excellent diplomat who has accompanied and shaped recent Syrian history in theory and practice. He is also brutally honest, including with Western policy failures, and hard to be put into a political camp in this polarized conflict. On the basis of profound studies of the Baath system, he explains how Syria's disaster inevitably unfolded in the context of the Arab Spring, the brutal internal logic of an encrusted regime, and the vested interests of foreign powers. Van Dam's insights from old and new Syria make this book a valuable guide in the complex web of this worst conflict of our century. We get a taste of the difficult search for a new social contract and a political solution in Syria - if this is still possible before the state fails.' - Carsten Wieland, author of Syria: A Decade of Lost Chances, 'Nikolaos van Dam is simply one of the top experts on Syria. Setting the Syrian conflict within its historical and contemporary contexts, he draws on his unique combination of scholarly excellence and practical diplomatic experience. This book is a sophisticated, yet accessible and readable analysis of a highly complex situation. It substantially updates and advances our understanding of the ever evolving war in Syria.' - David W. Lesch, Ewing Halsell Distinguished Professor of History at Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas and author of Syria: The Fall of the House of Assad.Table of ContentsPreface 1 Introduction 2 Ba’thist history before the Syrian Revolution (2011) 3 Could the War in Syria have been avoided? 4 Confrontation between the military of the regime and the opposition 5 The ambivalent Western approach to the Syria conflict 6 Intra-Syrian talks but no negotiations 7 Conclusions Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA BARACK OBAMA AND A BILL GATES SUMMER READING PICK 2022 A NEW YORK TIMES AND WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER 'This book helped me understand modern politics better' - Bill Gates, Summer Reading Pick 2022 'Superbly researched and written' - Francis Fukuyama, The Washington Post 'It's been a long time since I learned so much from one book.' - Rutger Bregman author of Utopia for Realists 'Powerful [and] intelligent.' - Fareed Zakaria, CNN America's political system isn't broken. The truth is scarier: it's working exactly as designed. In Why We're Polarized, Ezra Klein reveals the structural and psychological forces behind America's deep political divisions, revealing how a system filled with rational, functional parts can combine into a dysfunctional whole. Neither a polemic nor a lament, this book offers a clear framework for understanding everything from Trump's rise to the Democratic Party's leftward shift to the politicisation of everyday culture. Klein shows how and why American politics polarised in the twentieth century, what that polarisation did to Americans' views of the world and one another, and how feedback loops between polarised political identities and polarised political institutions drive the system toward crisis. This revelatory book will change how you look at politics, and perhaps at yourself.Trade ReviewIt's been a long time since I learned so much from one book. He shows just how broken the American political system is. -- Rutger Bregman author of * Utopia for Realists *In this insightful book, Klein argues persuasively that the cause of [polarisation in America] is identity-the human instinct to let our group identities guide our decision making. The book is fundamentally about American politics, but it's also a fascinating look at human psychology. -- Bill GatesA fascinating book, rich in politics, history, psychology and more -- David Leonhardt * New York Times *Eye-opening . . . Klein's brilliant diagnosis and prescription provide a path to understanding--and healing. * O Magazine *By weaving together a composite of group psychological theory and political history in the trademark, rigorously logical style of Vox's Explainer series, journalism, Klein traces the path of polarization from a time when the Republican and Democratic parties were virtually indistinguishable from each other to today. -- Emma Levy * Seattle Times *Why We're Polarized delivers. . . . What Klein adds especially to [is] our understanding of how we got here--why Trump is more a vessel for our division than the cause, and why his departure will not provide any magical cure. . . . A thoughtful, clear and persuasive analysis. -- Norman Ornstein * New York Times Book Review *In this thoughtful exploration of American politics, Ezra Klein challenges the conventional wisdom about why and how recently we've come apart, and suggests that the fantasy of some unified American middle is perhaps at odds with the ongoing fight for truly representational politics. Why We're Polarized makes the compelling case that the centuries-long battle to perfect our union means we were built to be split; Klein's provocative question is whether America's democratic systems and institutions can bear up under the weight of our divides. -- Rebecca Traister * New York Times bestselling author of Good and Mad *The story of this impeachment is the story of American politics today: polarization. It affects almost every aspect of American political life and has been studied by scholars from many different angles, with dozens of good historical and experimental approaches. Wouldn't it be great if someone would digest all these studies, synthesize them and produce a readable book that makes sense of it all? Ezra Klein has done just that with his compelling new work, Why We're Polarized. It is likely to become the political book of the year. . . . Powerful [and] intelligent. -- Fareed Zakaria * CNN *Well worth reading. -- Andrew Sullivan * New York Magazine *Few books are as well-matched to the moment of their publication as Ezra Klein's Why We're Polarized. . . . Klein's careful book explains how different groups of Americans can see politics through such different lenses, examining how various psychological mechanisms allow committed partisans to rationalize almost anything their party does. . . . This book fully displays the attributes that have made Klein's journalism so successful. -- Dan Hopkins * Washington Post *Few books are as well-matched to the moment of their publication -- Dan Hopkins * Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisThe Communist Manifesto is a timeless classic providing intelligent insight into socialism, communism and today’s group identity politics. This pocket edition includes a new introduction by the economist and bestselling author of Adults in the Room, Yanis Varoufakis.The Communist Manifesto was first published in London in 1848, by two young men in their late twenties. Its impact reverberated across the globe and throughout the next century, and it has come to be recognised as one of the most important political texts ever written. Maintaining that the history of all societies is a history of class struggle, the manifesto proclaims that communism is the only route to equality, and is a call to action aimed at the proletariat. It is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand our modern political landscape.

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Book SynopsisHamas won an overwhelming electoral victory in January 2006, overturning many assumptions regionally and globally. Branded as terrorist by Israel and the West, it is the largest Palestinian militant Islamist organization, formed fifteen years ago at the beginning of the first intifada. Its short-term objective is to drive Israeli forces from the West Bank and Gaza, an aim it hopes to realize through attacks on Israeli troops and settlers in the Occupied Territories and - more controversially - civilians. It also has the long-term aim of establishing an Islamic state on all of historic Palestine. In the post-Oslo world, Hamas gained power and influence as Israel steadily destroyed the power structure of the avowedly secular Yasser Arafat and his Palestinian Authority. A grass-roots organization that commands wide respect among Palestinians for its incorruptibility, Hamas is divided into two main sections, one responsible for establishing schools, hospitals and religious institutions, the other for military action and terror attacks carried out by its armed underground wing the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades. This book charts the origins of Hamas among the Muslim Brotherhood, details the influence of its exiled leadership in Syria and elsewhere, and sets out its internal structure and political objectives. This new edition includes an additional chapter covering events since the book's original publication in November 2006.Trade ReviewThis is an important book, and I encourage both Israelis and diaspora Jews to read it. -- Gabrielle Rifkind, Specialist in Conflict Resolution and Human SecurityAn excellent history, deeply researched, the story is dramatic, and Tamimi tells it well... gives access to fascinating detail. -- Victoria Brittain * Palestine News *In this trenchant history spanning from the first days of the 1987 intifada to the sweeping democratic victory of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Palestinian elections of January 2006, London-based scholar Tamimi argues that seeing Hamas as merely another face of Al Qaeda obscures more than it elucidates. A successor to the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas comes out of a transnational Islamic reform movement that grew among Palestinians in the 1970s, largely in reaction to Arab nationalism's failure to champion the Palestinian cause. Increasingly, against a string of failed peace processes and the corruption and concessions of the PLO-led secular leadership, Hamas's popular support has rested heavily on its stance as a militant resistance movement wedded to the Palestinian dream of regaining pre-1948 Palestine, and as provider of essential social services. Tamimi draws extensively on the words of insiders in carefully charting and contextualizing the development of Hamas's highly resilient organization, shifting outlook and embrace of various tactics, including the offer of a truce with Israel and, most controversially, suicide bombing. It will be a key resource in English for any serious assessment of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. * Publishers Weekly starred review *Provides facts on Hamas' struggle in Palestine from real sources in the organisation. * Malaysian National News Agency *Tamimi's book is the most authoritative account yet published of the origins, rise and impact of Hamas. -- Abdel Bari Atwan, editor-in-chief, Al-Quds Al-Arabi

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsContents List of Illustrations Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction 1 • Internationalizing Struggle, 1977–1979 2 • Triumph and Consolidation, 1979–1980 3 • The Revolution under Attack, 1981–1982 4 • Creative Defense, 1983–1984 5 • Fundraising for the Revolution, 1985–1986 6 • Peace and Elections, 1987–1990 Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis''though a great many men and not a few women knew Ferdinand Lopez very well, none of them knew whence he had come''Despite his mysterious antecedents, Ferdinand Lopez aspires to join the ranks of British society. An unscrupulous financial speculator, he determines to marry into respectability and wealth, much against the wishes of his prospective father-in-law. One of the nineteenth century''s most memorable outsiders, Lopez''s story is set against that of the ultimate insider, Plantagenet Palliser, Duke of Omnium. Omnium reluctantly accepts the highest office of state; now, at last, he is ''the greatest man in the greatest country in the world''. But his government is a fragile coalition and his wife''s enthusiastic assumption of the role of political hostess becomes a source of embarrassment. Their troubled relationship and that of Lopez and Emily Wharton is a conjunction that generates one of Trollope''s most complex and substantial novels. Part of the Palliser series, The Prime Mi

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Book SynopsisNUMBER 1 BESTSELLER IN THE IRISH NON-FICTION CHARTSRough Beast is shocking, important and unputdownable. Roddy DoyleRough Beast is Máiría Cahill''s harrowing story of her life and of what she went through at the hands of what is now Ireland's largest and richest party. That story is told here for the first time in full detail and with unsparing honesty. It is a story of unimaginable trauma and political corruption. It brings to life a world of paramilitary secrecy and parallel laws, but above all it is the story of one young woman's defiance of the power wielded by ex-gunmen inspiring fear and silence, and their influence over elected politicians.Máiría Cahill grew up steeped in the traditions of Irish republicanism and the shadowy world of the IRA: her great-uncle Joe was one of the main founders of the Provisional IRA and her grandfather was Gerry Adams''s mentor in the republican movement. From an early age she seemed des

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Book SynopsisTo discover who rules, follow the gold. This is the argument of this book, a history of modern American politics. It presents revised versions of essays in which the author advanced and tested his theory.

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Book SynopsisThe wit and wisdom of Benjamin Disraeli, British statesman and twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom – with a new foreword by Lord Lexden.

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Book SynopsisIn non-democratic regimes around the world, non-state organizations provide millions of citizens with medical care, schooling, childrearing, and other critical social services. Why would any authoritarian countenance this type of activism? Under what conditions does the private provision of social services generate political mobilization? And in those cases, what linkage does the provision of social services forge between the provider and recipient?In Winning Hearts and Votes, Steven Brooke argues that authoritarians often seek to manage moments of economic crisis by offloading social welfare responsibilities to non-state providers. But providers who serve poorer citizens, motivated by either charity of clientelism, will be constrained in their ability to mobilize voters because the poor depend on the state for many different goods. Organizations that serve paying customers, in contrast, may produce high quality, consistent, and effective services. This type of provisiTrade Review"Steven Brooke’s book will sit comfortably on the shelf next to several recent classics in the political science literature by Egyptian specialists, and will be discussed alongside those by many." -- Daniel Corstange, Assistant Professor of Political Science and International and Public Affairs, Columbia University"Winning Hearts and Votes is a tour de force. Steven T. Brooke’s historical research is sublime, and he makes important and concrete interventions on a number of topics to students and researchers within political science and the field of Egypt studies. This book will be the definitive account on this topic for years to come." -- Joshua Stacher, Associate Professor of Political Science, Kent State University"In his study of the Egyptian Islamic Medical Association, Steven Brooke asks why authoritarian regimes allow non-state actors to provide services and how service delivery builds support for the Islamist opposition. This highly engaging book breaks new ground on a critically important topic." -- Melani Cammett, Clarence Dillon Professor of International Affairs, Harvard University"In this dazzling study of healthcare provision by a religiously conservative party in Egypt, Steven Brooke convinces us that service provision does not buy votes so much as it buys esteem. This is a model of empirical sophistication and precision and brings the Egyptian case into dialogue with broader literature on political parties and clientelism. This is comparative politics of the first rank." -- Tarek Masoud, Harvard University, and author of Counting IslamTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Note on Transliteration 1. Social Services and Political Mobilization in Nondemocratic Regimes 2. Middle-Class Provision, Reputation, and Electoral Success 3. Rebuilding the Brotherhood Brand 4. Inside the Islamist Advantage 5. The Political Geography of Islamist Social Service Provision 6. Electing to Serve 7. Mohammed Morsi's Machine 8. The Politics of Social Service Provision Appendix Notes Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisParty competition for votes in free and fair elections involves complex interactions by multiple actors in political landscapes. This title offers a comprehensive treatment of party competition using the computational techniques of agent-based modeling. It shows how agent-based modeling can be used to reflect how political systems really work.Trade Review"[T]he book is an excellent starting point for everyone interested in party competition and provides food for future agent-based research."--Victor M. Eguiluz, JASSS "Besides political scientists who are interested in the topic, this book is well suited for any social scientist who looks for an exemplary introduction to basic techniques of simulation-based research."--Johannes Zschache, RMM "This is a rich and provocative book... For methodologically sophisticated political scientists, and especially those interested in spatial analysis, this is no doubt the best introduction available to the challenging, exciting, and, to many, still mysterious worlds of agent-based modeling."--Charles H. Blake, Perspectives on PoliticsTable of ContentsPreface vii Acknowledgments xiii Part One: Preliminaries 1 Chapter 1. Modeling Multiparty Competition 3 Chapter 2. Spatial Dynamics of Political Competition 15 Chapter 3. A Baseline ABM of Party Competition 28 Chapter 4. Systematically Interrogating Agent-Based Models 56 Part Two: The Basic Model 83 Chapter 5. Benchmarking the Baseline Model 85 Chapter 6. Endogenous Parties, Interaction of Different Decision Rules 106 Chapter 7. New Decision Rules, New Rule Features 132 Part Three: Extensions and Empirics 157 Chapter 8. The Evolutionary Dynamics of Decision Rule Selection 159 Chapter 9. Nonpolicy Factors in Party Competition 183 Chapter 10. Party Leaders with Policy Preferences 206 Chapter 11. Using Theoretical Models to Analyze Real Party Systems 228 Chapter 12. In Conclusion 258 References 267 Index 275

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Book SynopsisWITH AN INTRODUCTION BY DAVID AARONOVITCHThe Communist Manifesto was first published in London, by two young men in their late twenties, in 1848. Its impact reverberated across the globe and throughout the next century, and it has come to be recognised as one of the most important political texts ever written. Maintaining that the history of all societies is a history of class struggle, the manifesto proclaims that communism is the only route to equality, and is a call to action aimed at the proletariat. It is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand our modern political landscape.Trade ReviewA brilliant piece of writing, easily accessible, and which really did change the world * Daily Mail *Contemporary, ironic, cool, biting writing style * Observer *Irreverent, mocking, sarcastic, witty, savage, provocative and with a driving, irresistible argument * Independent *As a force for change, its influence has been surpassed only by the Bible. As a piece of writing, it is a masterpiece * Guardian *A short work, written in punchy, accessible style. It can be read in an hour. * Sunday Mirror *

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Book Synopsis**WINNER OF THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING****WINNER OF THE ELIZABETH LONGFORD PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL BIOGRAPHY***Book of the year: The Times, Sunday Times, New Statesman, Spectator, Evening Standard*'Outstanding . . . We still live in the society that was shaped by Clement Attlee' Robert Harris, Sunday Times'The best book in the field of British politics' Philip Collins, The Times'Easily the best single-volume, cradle-to-grave life of Clement Attlee yet written' Andrew RobertsClement Attlee was the Labour prime minister who presided over Britain's radical postwar government, delivering the end of the Empire in India, the foundation of the NHS and Britain's place in NATO. Called 'a sheep in sheep's clothing', his reputation has long been that of an unassuming character in the shadow of Churchill. But as John Bew's revelatory biography shows, Attlee was not only a hero of his age, but an emblem of it; and his life tells the story of how Britain changed over the twentieth century. Here, Bew pierces Attlee's reticence to examine the intellect and beliefs of Britain's greatest - and least appreciated - peacetime prime minister. This edition includes a new preface by the author in response to the 2017 general election.Trade ReviewWinner of The Orwell Prize for Political WritingEasily the best single-volume, cradle-to-grave life of Clement Attlee yet written. Professor Bew updates but also betters all the other biographies with this intelligent, well-researched and highly readable book. Scholarly and perceptive, it tells the story of how quiet determination and impeccable political timing wrought a peaceful revolution * Andrew Roberts *If Labour is to return to power, it is not to Tony Blair and Harold Wilson to whom it should turn for inspiration but to the ethos and example of Attlee . . . Citizen Clem promises to be one of the highlights of the autumn season -- Jason Cowley * New Statesman *The brilliant young historian John Bew urges Labour to recapture something of the ethos of the Attlee period * Telegraph *In this monumental biography, John Bew sets out to explore, not just the scale of the achievement, but to discover what made Attlee tick . . . A good book about a remarkable man -- Chris Mullin * Guardian *Fascinating . . . He writes with flair and considerable intellectual confidence . . . Bew believes that Labour has lost a sense of historical mission . . . This insight seems right to me -- Jason Cowley * Financial Times *This biography makes a strong case for Attlee's greatness . . . Such contradictions deserve a discerning biographer, and in John Bew, Attlee has the man he deserves. He has written with verve and confidence a first-rate life of a man whom he correctly argues has been under-appreciated . . . What a life and what a man -- Daniel Finkelstein * The Times *Outstanding . . . This excellent new life of Labour's greatest leader . . . We still live in the society that was shaped by Clement Attlee . . . Bew's achievement is not only to bring this curious and introverted man to life, but to make him oddly loveable. He steps out like a character from the pages of the social novels of H. G. Wells or George Orwell . . . To read this book in the shadow of the present Labour leadership election is a salutary experience -- Robert Harris * Sunday Times *An absorbing new life of Clement Attlee shows how a quiet man from the suburbs became Labour's unlikely postwar hero . . . So how did a man who was the object of so much private derision by his peers come to preside over Labour's greatest (some might say only) radical government? Bew puts the question at the core of his story. He answers it convincingly by mixing arresting narrative with a thorough study of the people and policies of the Labour movement at a time of hardship interspersed by war and fierce ideological difference . . . The book is replete with amusing vignettes . . . This book will become required reading for the present-day Labour party -- John Kampfner * Observer *Magisterial . . . A great work of personal biography, social history, political philosophy, international relations and ferrets-in-a-sack Labour Party infighting . . . Bew explores in great detail Attlee's pilgrim's progress toward socialism with a thorough critique of his literary, cultural and political reading. . . As the Labour Party retreats towards ideological self-immolation, as Britain stumbles on the world stage, and as European social democracy stands in peril, we need another Attlee more than ever. In the absence of which, we have Bew's brilliant book -- Tristram Hunt * Prospect *Read this book to understand what Labour once was and what has been lost because of its embrace of identity politics and ultra-liberalism. Book of the Year -- Jason Cowley * New Statesman *A masterful portrait of a man who led the Labour Party for 20 years and arguably did more than any other UK politician to shape the postwar world . . . Attlee was a patriot who believed that tolerance was Britain's greatest gift to the world. Now, more than ever, it is tolerance we need. Book of the Year -- Tom Watson * New Statesman *Attlee was a distant and austere figure by reputation, but the book sweeps that away from the start, recalling Clem the street agitator and war hero. Book of the Year -- Roland White * Sunday Times *The author sets out to claim a place among the greats for his subject and succeeds . . . The lessons for modern politics are made clearly. Book of the Year -- Daniel Finkelstein * The Times *Bew has the detachment of a professional historian, but an understanding of politics and personalities. Book of the Year -- Kwasi Kwarteng * Evening Standard *The best book in the field of British politics. Book of the Year. -- Philip Collins * The Times *Bew is particularly good on the dynamics of his close relationship with Churchill . . . Bew's revelatory biography explains that achievement. But it also brings us a 3D, flesh and blood Citizen Clem, and boy, does he make him shine! -- Gordon Marsden * Times Higher Education *This is a big book in scope and depth and is a very good read besides. It is not just a political biography, but an explanation of the man, what made him, the roots of his patriotism, his military experience in the First World War, his love of literature . . . in a way Citizen Clem is a history of the twentieth century * Tablet *His true political genius and unflinching moral purpose are brilliantly reappraised in John Bew's Citizen Clem . . . This book is a rare beast - political biography at its finest, yet one that is deeply moving -- David Bell * Times Literary Supplement *Winner of the Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical BiographyBoth a magnificent renewal of the art of political biography and a monument to the greatest leader the Labour party has ever had. It presents us with a man whose socialism was learned, not acquired * Jonathan Derbyshire, Judge of The Orwell Prize *John Bew's survey of Labour's post-war hero Clement Attlee resurrects the idea of the political biography almost thought lost: encyclopaedic, analytical, massive in scope but intimate in understanding. * Waterstones Weekly *

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Book SynopsisElections ask voters to choose between political parties. But voters across the UK are increasingly being presented with fundamentally different, and largely disconnected, sets of political choices. This book is about this hollowing out of a genuinely British democratic politics: how and why it has occurred, and why it matters. Electoral choices across Britain became increasingly differentiated along national lines over much of the last half-century. In 2017, for the second general election in a row, four different parties came first in the UK's four nations. UK voters are increasingly faced with general election campaigns that are largely disconnected from each other. At the same time, voters acquire much of their information about the election from news-media based in London that display little understanding of these national distinctions. The UK continues to elect representatives to a single parliament. But the shared debates and sets of choices that tie a political community together are increasingly absent. Separate national political arenas and agendas still have to interact but in some respects the House of Commons increasingly resembles the European Parliament - whose members are democratically chosen but from a disconnected series of separate national electoral contests. This is deeply problematic for the long-term unity and integrity of the UK.

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Book SynopsisJodi Dean unshackles the communist ideal from the failures of the Soviet Union. In the new capitalism of networked information technologies, our very ability to communicate is exploited, but revolution is still possible if we organise on the basis of our common and collective desires. Examining the experience of the Occupy movement, Dean argues that such spontaneity can't develop into a revolution and it needs to constitute itself as a party. An innovative work of pressing relevance, The Communist Horizon offers nothing less than a manifesto for a new collective politics.Trade ReviewThis is what everyone engaged in today's struggles for emancipation needs: a unique combination of theoretical stringency and a realistic assessment of our predicament. To anyone who continues to dwell in illusions about liberal democracy, one should simply say: read Jodi Dean's new book! -- Slavoj ZizekJodi's sharp analysis of the impasses of the left is also a kind of requiem for much of the 2.0 bluster of the last decade. -- Mark Fisher, author of Capitalist RealismOne of the most significant books in recent critical theory to theorize a powerful leftist politics. Its spirit and argument are energizing,and Dean's analysis is likely to intensify desires for transnational solidarity toward ending exploitation. The book's message is especially important in the present moment, when so many people despair over their political and economic powerlessness. * Political Theory *

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Book SynopsisHe is a most unlikely revolutionary: a middle-aged, middle-class former grammar schoolboy who honed his radicalism on the mean streets of rural Shropshire. Last summer, this little-known outsider rode a wave of popular enthusiasm to win the Labour Party leadership by a landslide, with a greater mandate than any British political leader before him. This new edition of the critically acclaimed biography brings the Jeremy Corbyn story fully up to date, setting out how this very British iconoclast managed to snatch the leadership of a party he spent forty years rebelling against and, despite rebellion from within his own ranks, managed to galvanise millions to vote for him in the 2017 general election. Engaging, clear-sighted and above all revealing, Comrade Corbyn explores the extraordinary story of the most unexpected leader in modern British politics.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, Senator Bernie Sanders explains where he comes from. He describes in detail how, after cutting his teeth in the Civil Rights movement, Sanders helped build an extraordinary grassroots political movement in Vermont, making it possible for him to become the first independent elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in forty years and now the longest-serving independent in U.S. political history. An extensive afterword by The Nation's National Affairs correspondent John Nichols continues the story with Sanders's entrance into the Senate, the drama of the 2016 Democratic Primary, his ongoing resistance to Trump, and the thrilling launch of his 2020 bid for the White House. A new foreword by Nina Turner, former president of Our Revolution and co-chair of the Sanders for President campaign, provides a rare glimpse of Bernie as a person. Outsider in the White House tells the story of a passionate and principled political life.Trade Review"I endorse Brother Bernie Sanders because he is a long-distance runner with integrity in the struggle for justice for over fifty years. Now is the time for his prophetic voice to be heard across our crisisridden country." --Cornel West, author of Race Matters "Bernie's been in the forefront of all the crucial environmental fights of recent years." --Bill McKibben, cofounder of 350.org "Bernie is the real thing. He's not about reading the polls and finding out what he needs to say in order to get elected. He's about an unwavering commitment to basic justice, equality and sound financial sense." --Ben Cohen, cofounder of Ben & Jerry's and founder of Stampede: Stamp Money out of Politics "I feel weird using words like 'values' and 'morals' because those are words that have been co-opted to justify terrible things like bigotry and greed. I'd like to take those words back and use them to describe Bernie Sanders because his moral compass and sense of values inspire me." --Sarah Silverman, comedian and social commentator Praise for the original edition, Outsider in the House "A clear, compelling and comprehensive vision for reinvigorating democracy, reducing poverty, rebuilding the middle class and restructuring our health care and education systems. Sanders gives us a vision of the day when 'we will no longer be outsiders in the House.'" --In These Times "Outsider in the House is a rare achievement: a concise, compelling book that both tells an interesting story and provides a readable, down-to-earth blueprint for political change." --The Onion "A road map for how progressives can win elections and not be a part of the two party duopoly." --Ralph Nader "A grass-roots 'how-to' guide, especially helpful and inspirational for prospective independent candidates--a firsthand description of the career of the most successful American socialist politician in modern times." --The Hill

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Book SynopsisA timely analysis of the power and limits of political parties—and the lessons of the Civil War and the New Deal in the Age of Trump. American voters have long been familiar with the phenomenon of the presidential frontrunner. In 2008, it was Hillary Clinton. In 1844, it was Martin Van Buren. And in neither election did the prominent Democrat win the party's nomination. Insurgent candidates went on to win the nomination and the presidency, plunging the two-party system into disarray over the years that followed. In this book, Cedric de Leon analyzes two pivotal crises in the American two-party system: the first resulting in the demise of the Whig party and secession of eleven southern states in 1861, and the present crisis splintering the Democratic and Republican parties and leading to the election of Donald Trump. Recasting these stories through the actions of political parties, de Leon draws unsettling parallels in the political maneuvering that ultimately causes once-dominant political parties to lose the people's consent to rule. Crisis! takes us beyond the common explanations of social determinants to illuminate how political parties actively shape national stability and breakdown. The secession crisis and the election of Donald Trump suggest that politicians and voters abandon the political establishment not only because people are suffering, but also because the party system itself is unable to absorb an existential challenge to its power. Just as the U.S. Civil War meant the difference between the survival of a slaveholding republic and the birth of liberal democracy, what political elites and civil society organizations do today can mean the difference between fascism and democracy.Trade Review"Crisis! draws important parallels between the Civil War and our present moment: that the planter class of the 19th century initially resisted secession finds echoes today in actions of the superrich, many of whom once opposed Trump but have now come on board, setting in motion consequences that threaten their wealth and power. A fascinating book."—Stephen Lerner, Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor, Georgetown University"Cedric de Leon offers a compelling narrative that sheds light on our present political moment and serves as a resource to anyone wishing to understand and end the crisis of confidence that has gripped American politics."—Jim McGovern, United States Congressman"Cedric de Leon makes a bold and convincing argument about the sources of political crises and popular disaffection with the major political parties: it is the dynamics of the parties themselves, rather than voters' economic self-interest or cultural goals, that create moments of political breakdown."—Ann Shola Orloff, coeditor of The Many Hands of the State: Theorizing Political Authority and Social Control"Cedric de Leon sees a crisis in contemporary American politics similar to the one leading up to the Civil War. His paths forward—led either by political party leaders or through a surge of political independence among voters—point toward very different futures for U.S. democracy. As argued in Crisis!, we are living in extraordinary political times."—John Aldrich, Why Parties? A Second Look"[De Leon offers] a sober analysis that centers its story on the relationships between a party and its base. If we are to find a way out of this 'time of monsters,' one way would be through movements that recognize these 'crisis points' and use them to break out of a system of political hegemony that has largely ignored climate change, allowed the growth of unsustainable levels of inequality and is actively disenfranchising people across the globe. The challenges for such movements are enormous, but the time has never been more ripe."—John Kincaid, Social Forces"In the end Crisis! is an important contribution to the new historical sociology of parties from one of the leading scholars in the field. It is a welcome correction to scholarly and public debates that elide the centrality of parties in the making of American political history and our current predicament... What Crisis! offers is a concise cross-case analysis of key periods of political dissolution with an eye to enhancing our understanding of the present, laying important groundwork on which the rest of us can (and should) build."—Stephanie L. Mudge, American Journal of SociologyTable of ContentsContents and Abstracts1The Crisis Sequence chapter abstractWhat explains the timing of political crises? Specifically, given the long-standing clash between pro- and antislavery interests since the American Revolution, why did the American Civil War begin in 1861 and not before? And why, despite long-standing trends in globalization, economic inequality, and immigration, is the Far Right coming to power only now? This chapter outlines the shared logic of both political crises, namely, that their timing depended on the sequence of partisan reactions and counterreactions following a challenge to the mainstream party system. 2The Appeal of Manifest Destiny. chapter abstractThe antebellum or Jacksonian two-party system was designed to avoid the politicization of slavery. But beginning in 1844, a new generation of Democrats advanced a legislative agenda based on Manifest Destiny, the notion that Americans were preordained by God to colonize the present-day continental United States and beyond. These so-called Young America Democrats hoped to oust their party elders by promising landless white voters a life of economic independence out West. Manifest Destiny, however, threatened to undo the party system and the slaveholding republic, because it raised the question of whether slavery would be permitted in the new territories. 3The Tug of Unionism. chapter abstractThe resulting colonization of what was then still northern Mexico touched off a bitter debate over whether slavery could be established there. White voters who had been seduced by the promise of Manifest Destiny thus remained in landless limbo, while the party system split into numerous factions. This chapter explains how the Whig Party exploited the political turmoil by offering a presidential candidate and a compromise that would preserve the Union. The Whigs rode the message of unionism back to power, roundly defeating the Democrats and reabsorbing the pro- and antislavery factions back into the mainstream party system. 4The End of the Slaveholding Republic. chapter abstractThis chapter suggests that the Whigs' reabsorption strategy backfired badly. The victory of unionism had the unintended effect of ending factional strife in the Democratic Party. Once back in power, the reunified Democrats doubled down on the politics of territorial expansion and passed the 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act, which reignited the debate over slavery by allowing voters to decide whether territories, even in the North, would be free or slave. The Democratic resurgence and the Kansas-Nebraska Act led to two competing Whig counterreactions that tore the Union apart and led directly to the Civil War. 5The Contradictions of the New Deal. chapter abstractIn contrast to antebellum Democrats, Depression-era Democrats were able to contain the challenge posed by militant trade unions and third parties like the Farmer-Labor and Communist parties. Though the New Deal is often seen as the golden age of social democratic politics in the United States, this chapter argues that the Democrats used collective bargaining laws and social programs to divide and then reabsorb renegade workers into mainstream institutional politics. This was the class contradiction underpinning the New Deal, but the New Deal also contained important racial contradictions, for it reserved many of its benefits for white Americans. When the Democrats later promised to close these racial loopholes through civil rights legislation, the Republicans rose to power by promising to maintain whites' privileged access to New Deal programs and by undermining the power of the state to intervene in the market. 6The Miseducation of Barack Obama. chapter abstractIn the midst of the Great Recession, Barack Obama's insurgent campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination promised a New New Deal. The postracial neoliberal establishment of both parties did not take this challenge to their power lightly, however. They moved swiftly to reabsorb the president into mainstream politics. From the left, Clinton Democrats infiltrated the Obama administration from inside the White House. From the right, the Republican congressional leadership sought to harness the grassroots energy of the Tea Party to block the Obama agenda. By 2010, the Obama administration had embraced the status quo. 7The Election of Donald Trump. chapter abstractThis chapter suggests that the establishment's reabsorption strategy backfired. The Obama administration's neoliberal turn ensured that social inequalities grew and festered, leading to three left-wing insurgencies: Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matter, and the Bernie Sanders campaign. On the right, the introduction of the Tea Party into the halls of power encouraged the proliferation and intransigence of the Far Right, most famously of the "birthers" and Donald Trump himself. The resulting factionalization of the GOP ensured that no one conservative candidate could defeat Donald Trump's campaign for the Republican nomination. Subsequently, young voters, union members, and black voters who were alienated from the Democratic establishment either defected from the Democratic Party in the 2016 presidential campaign or stayed home on election day. This perfect storm led to the election of Donald Trump. 8The Paths out of Crisis. chapter abstractThis chapter explores the potential paths out of our present crisis. There is evidence to suggest that the United States is on a path of Caesarism, or rule by an authoritarian charismatic figure. There is also evidence that neoliberals within the Republican Party may succeed in containing Donald Trump's seemingly antineoliberal agenda. Less clear is a progressive path. The chapter ends with an alternative agenda based on the concept of economic democracy. Economic democracy is an intersectional vision of solidarity, in which the struggle for economic justice is inseparable from the fight for racial and gender equity.

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Book SynopsisWhat is socialism? Does it have a future, or has it become an outdated ideology in the 21st century?This Very Short Introduction considers the major theories in socialism, and explores its historical evolution from the French Revolution to the present day. Michael Newman argues that socialism has always been a diverse doctrine, while nevertheless containing a central core of interconnected values and goals: a critique of capitalism; an optimistic view of human beings; and the belief that it is possible to establish societies based on egalitarianism, social solidarity, and co-operation. In this new edition, he draws on case studies such as Cuba, Sweden, and Bolivia, to consider attempts to implement socialism in practice, before discussing New Left challenges to conventional notions of socialism on such questions as feminism, climate change, and direct action. Rejecting the widespread view that socialism is an out-dated doctrine, Newman argues that it remains ultimately relevant in today''s world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books ar the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewThis edition of Socialism: A Very Short Introduction is informative and accessible. It will benefit both graduate and undergraduate students in all disciplines, and it would be useful for the Core programs and the general reader. * Arab Studies Quarterly *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements List of Illustrations Introduction 1: Socialist traditions 2: Cuban communism and Swedish social democracy 3: New Lefts - enrichment and fragmentation 4: Beyond the Dominant Orthodoxies 5: Socialism today and tomorrow References Further reading Index

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Book SynopsisThis book addresses the challenges facing socialists and the recent shift from protest to politics. It examines the limits and possibilities for class, party and state transformation and the democratic and socialist insurgencies inside the Labour Party in Britain, and the Democratic Party in the USA.Table of ContentsCONTENTS: Introduction: The revival of democratic socialism; class, party, state: the twentieth century socialist experience; From protest to party to state: lessons from Syriza; Corbyn's challenge: from party insurgency to state transformation?; Sanders challenge: economic democracy beyond `responsible capitalism'?; Planning for democratic socialism.

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Book SynopsisThis new edition of Donald Sassoon's magisterial history of the Left in the twentieth century includes a substantial new introduction by the author. With unique authority and unparalleled scholarship, Sassoon traces the fortunes of the political parties of the left in Western Europe across 14 countries, covering the fortunes of socialism from the rise of the Bolsheviks through two World Wars to the revival of feminism and the arrival of "green" politics.Trade Review'A genuinely major contribution to political understanding.' New York Times 'A remarkable new work of historical analysis, which will soon establish itself as a classic, Donald Sassoon's lucid and erudite One Hundred Years of Socialism, demonstrates that...the effective parties of the left, whether social democratic or (in a few cases such as France and Italy) communist...have served to regulate and socialise the wealth-creating and directionless economic dynamism of capitalism, not replace it.' Eric Hobsbawm, Guardian 'A majestic work. Nothing like this great survey exists in any language...stylishly written, with an ironic wit and vivid gift of metaphor, the book is an unfailing pleasure to read.' The Economist 'Epic...and encyclopedic comparative work drawing freely on the histories of countries as diverse as Britain, Germany, Greece, Denmark and Finland...its greatest strength lies in his placing of the left-right ideological batle within the context of the change and development of a capitalist system. Thus, [Sassoon] says, there has been no defeat of socialism by capitalism; the crisis of socialism was precipitated by the expansion of and changes in capitalism.' Alan Thompson, Times Higher Education Supplement 'Brilliant...Sassoon's view is based on quite phenomenally extensive reading and knowledge. Yet we never feel ourselves to be drowning in a morass of unconnected or undigested detail. Nor does learning here preclude liveliness and wit...an astonishing achievement, whish deserves to become a classic of socialist history.' Anthony Arblaster, Tribune 'Sassoon's book is remarkable. A massive and original synthesis which deserves to become a classic, there is nothing comparable to it in the English language.' David Marquand '[An] extraordinary achievement...Sassoon constantly stresses, with and amazing and enviable width of scholarship, how the pre-existent cultures of different countries made the socialist project so different in each...this book is a small masterpiece. It is vastly informative...and wise in its conclusions...I have not felt so sure that a work would be a standard book in a long time'. Sir Bernard Crick 'An astonishing achievement. One Hundred Years of Socialism is so learned and wide-ranging, so densely packed and yet so readable, so subtle and refined in its judgements and scholarship, it is a constant source of inspiration.' Hugo Young 'I read it with unflagging interest and appetite never wishing it a page shorter. After reading Sassoon's enthralling account, glib capitalist triumphalism seems as historically misconceived as the naive socialist millenarianism of an earlier generation.' Peter Clarke 'Donald Sassoon tells his kaleidoscopic story with ease and urbanity as he guides his readers, with great skill, through the complex issues of ideology and industrial development, diplomacy and war, which have shaped one hundred years of European socialism.' Paul Preston 'Admirable...based on vast reading (the sixty-page bibliography is no exercise in vanity, but is copiously exploited in ninety pages of helpful notes), the book is an authoritative guide to the recent history of Social Democratic parties and governments not only in the major Western European states but also in the many smaller countries.' Tony Judt, Time Literary Supplement 'The panoptic history of the European left, from Oslo to Athens, and 1900 to 1995, is uninterruptedly interesting...the author has scaled a mountain of scholarship and returned with an indispensable work of reference and reflection.' Norman Birnbaum, Political Quarterly 'A compelling account.' Malcolm Rutherford, Financial Times 'This history of the western European Left, recounted by Donald Sassoon with style and sympathy, is the history not of revolution but of reform'. Stephen Tindale, Prospect 'Compelling...an antidote to the fin de siecle gloom and modish talk of the end of ideology.' Fabian Review 'The major political book of the year...Sassoon offers an extraordinary, wide-angle focus on socialist parties over a century and across the industrialized world.' Patricia Hewitt, New Statesman Books of the Year 'A brilliant and scholarly work.' Tony BennTable of ContentsList of Tables List of Figures Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations New Introduction Introduction to the First Edition Book One: Expansion Part One: The Hard Road to Political Power 1. The Establishment of Socialism Before 1914 2. From War to War (1914-40) 3. Thwarted Alternatives 4. The War, Resistance and Its Aftermath: The Rise and Fall of West European Communism 1939-48 Book Two: Consolidation Part Two: The Construction of Western Socialism 1945-50 5. The Socialists After 1945 6. Building Social Capitalism 1945-50 7. External Constraints: A Socialist Foreign Policy? Part Three: Toward Revisionism 1950-69 8. The Golden Age of Capitalism 9. Between Neutralism and Atlanticism 10. The Foundations of Revisionism Part Four: The Perplexing Sixties: 'Something in the Air' 11. The Return of the Left 12. The Establishment of a Foreign Policy Consensus Part Five: The Great Contestation 13. The Revival of Working Class Militancy 1960-73 14. The Revival of Ideology and the Student Contestation 15. The Revival of Feminism Book Three: Crisis Part Six: The End of the Great Capitalist Boom 1973-89 16. The Crisis and the Left: An Overview 17. Social Democracy in Small Countries: Austria, Sweden, Holland and Belgium 18. Germany and Britain: SPD and Labour in Power 19. The French Experiment 20. The Failure of Italian Communism 21. The End of Authoritarian Regimes in Western Europe: Portugal, Spain and Greece Part Seven: The Great Crisis of Socialism 22. Workers, Women and Greens 23. The 1980s: Radicalism in its Last Redoubt 24. The New Revisionism Epilogue Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAlthough Hizb ut-Tahrir, an international pan-Islamic political party, regularly holds conferences from Jakarta to Ramallah attended by tens of thousands of people, little is known about the organisation, which was founded in 1953, beyond generalities and conjecture. Its members are repeatedly arrested in Russia, Central Asia, Turkey and across the Middle East, and since the Arab uprisings it has emerged as an influential political actor in Tunisia, has a growing profile in Egypt, and is making a visible impact in the Syrian revolution. It is also paradoxically often dismissed as inconsequential despite its call for the implementation of Islam and the establishment of a universal caliphate across the Muslim world. 'Hizb ut-Tahrir: The Untold History of the Liberation Party' uncovers the history of the global Islamic political party, based upon a diverse array of archival research, internal documents, multiple interviews and other sources to build an authoritative account of the party as told from inside and out. From coup attempts in Jordan, sending delegations to meet Sadat, al-Gaddafi and Khomeini, and the execution of hundreds of its members in Libya and Iraq, Pankhurst's book blends political, intellectual and personal history, moving from global, regional and local perspectives.Trade ReviewNowhere have I read a more lucid, accessible and well-researched history of Hizb ut-Tahrir. Reza Pankhurst’s book is not only timely but is also informed by excellent scholarship and meticulous attention to detail. Pankhurst successfully blurs the boundaries between the insider and the academic to narrate how a group of Muslims imagined the caliphate, struggled to establish it and faced many challenges. This is a complex but accessible study of one of the most controversial projects of the Muslim movement in the twentieth century. The book truly demystifies the caliphate and its many advocates. Whether you are a sympathizer or a critic, this book will challenge your stereotypes about Islamic activism. -- Madawi Al-Rasheed, Visiting Professor at the Middle East Centre, LSE, and author of 'Muted Modernists: The Struggle over Divine Politics in Saudi Arabia'In this elegantly written and meticulously researched new book, Reza Pankhurst tells the previously untold story of Hizb-ut-Tahrir's founding and early development in the West Bank, Jordan, and elsewhere in the Middle East. The book is unprecedented and unparalleled in the new light it sheds on the early years of the party's emergence and evolution, and on a period in the history of 'Islamist' mobilization which is otherwise largely passed over in silence. Pankhurst raises important new questions about the trajectory of Islam as a force in world politics in the latter half of the twentieth century and the first decades of the twenty-first. -- John Sidel, Sir Patrick Gillam Professor of International and Comparative Politics, LSECombining scholarly rigour with engaged Muslim intellectualism, this book offers a comprehensive historical survey of an Islamic movement that continues to confound observers of politics in the Muslim world. As an academic and former member of Hizb-ut-Tahrir, Reza Pankhurst is uniquely positioned to write the history of this intriguing Islamist organisation. Written in the same vein as his earlier exploration of the place of the Caliphate in the Muslim world today, this Untold History of the Liberation Party offers a provocative rereading of an important strand of political Islam. -- Carool Kersten, Senior Lecturer in the Study of Islam and the Muslim World at King’s College London, editor of 'Demystifying the Caliphate' and 'The Caliphate and Islamic Statehood', and author of 'Islam in Indonesia'Reza Pankhurst has written a judicious and engaging account of a much maligned political party. His contribution goes beyond sensationalist headlines and presents us with a serious history of Hizb-ut-Tahrir, helping us to understand how the party has developed and grown in response to the challenges faced by the Muslim Ummah. -- S. Sayyid, author of 'Recalling the Caliphate' and 'A Fundamental Fear'This well-documented, detailed, and readable study fills a gap in knowledge about an important organization. . . . As the author shows, the Liberation Party has recently experienced remarkable growth that has transformed it into a worldwide movement, repressed by authoritarian regimes in most Muslim countries but generally tolerated in the West. Pankhurst had access to important documents and conducted extensive interviews with leaders of the group, notably during brief intervals of relative freedom initiated by the Arab Spring of 2011. Clearly favorable to the organization (of which he was a member) but also demonstrating objective scholarship, he convincingly refutes accusations that it is tied to groups such as Al Qaeda. This will prove valuable to those in various disciplines who deal with Islamist movements and global civil society generally. -- G. E. Perry, Professor Emeritus at Indiana State University

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Book SynopsisEssential reading for anyone interested in Turkey and its future' Literary ReviewEssential reading full stop' Peter FrankopanIt is a must' The TimesWho is Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and how did he lead a democracy on the fringe of Europe into dictatorship? How has chaos in the Middle East blown back over Turkey's borders? And why doesn't the West just cut off Erdogan and his regime?Offering extraordinary, eye-opening insight into a country that often hides its cards, Hannah Lucinda Smith combines a history of modern Turkey with close-up studies of its mercurial leader, its tumultuous politics and the broader political currents playing across Europe.Trade Review‘A brilliant guide, filled with insights … Not only essential reading for those wanting to understand contemporary Turkey, its politics and those of the wider region; essential reading full stop.’ Peter Frankopan ‘An engagingly written and factually scrupulous portrait … She captures his essence: the charisma and the paranoia, the skill of the political natural … Smith’s narrative has an empathetic and fair-minded grasp of Turkey’s colliding narratives … Full of dazzling cameos and incidental delights.’ Financial Times 'A comprehensive and nuanced account of Erdogan’s rule and the way he has ridden the tides of politics. For anyone interested in Turkey it is a must, but it also roams widely through the study of power and populism, full of revealing detail … Smith has a subtle intelligence; she deftly weaves the blowback from the collapse of Syria into her contemporary story … She writes very well, with an engaging mix of personal anecdote, acute observation, interviews and well-informed research; there’s no fat on this book and never a dull page.' Times ‘Fascinating … Much more than just a political biography … Essential reading.’ Literary Review ‘Does a brilliant job of revealing what has been going on in Turkey … Written in a lively and inviting style, her book records journeys throughout Turkey and its borders in search of those who can help to explain, or at least illuminate, Erdogan’s years in power.’ TLS ‘A fine book showing an aptitude to look way beyond the surface, and an eye for telling details which comes from her being an accomplished journalist based in Turkey’ Independent ‘One should begin by applauding Smith’s courage and determination in remaining in both Syria and Turkey during their upheavals and keeping her cool as a journalist … Could not be timelier … Excels in explaining elements of recent Turkish history.’ New Statesman

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Book Synopsis ‘Essential reading for anyone interested in Turkey and its future.’ Literary Review ‘Essential reading full stop.’ Peter Frankopan ‘It is a must.’ The Times Trade Review‘A brilliant guide, filled with insights … Not only essential reading for those wanting to understand contemporary Turkey, its politics and those of the wider region; essential reading full stop.’ Peter Frankopan ‘An engagingly written and factually scrupulous portrait … She captures his essence: the charisma and the paranoia, the skill of the political natural … Smith’s narrative has an empathetic and fair-minded grasp of Turkey’s colliding narratives … Full of dazzling cameos and incidental delights.’ Financial Times 'A comprehensive and nuanced account of Erdogan’s rule and the way he has ridden the tides of politics. For anyone interested in Turkey it is a must, but it also roams widely through the study of power and populism, full of revealing detail … Smith has a subtle intelligence; she deftly weaves the blowback from the collapse of Syria into her contemporary story … She writes very well, with an engaging mix of personal anecdote, acute observation, interviews and well-informed research; there’s no fat on this book and never a dull page.' Times ‘Fascinating … Much more than just a political biography … Essential reading.’ Literary Review ‘Does a brilliant job of revealing what has been going on in Turkey … Written in a lively and inviting style, her book records journeys throughout Turkey and its borders in search of those who can help to explain, or at least illuminate, Erdogan’s years in power.’ TLS ‘A fine book showing an aptitude to look way beyond the surface, and an eye for telling details which comes from her being an accomplished journalist based in Turkey’ Independent ‘One should begin by applauding Smith’s courage and determination in remaining in both Syria and Turkey during their upheavals and keeping her cool as a journalist … Could not be timelier … Excels in explaining elements of recent Turkish history.’ New Statesman

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Book Synopsis#1 New York Times BestsellerPeter Schweizer says that, in a quarter-century as an investigative journalist, this is the scariest investigation he has ever conducted. That the Chinese government seeks to infiltrate American institutions is hardly surprising.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisInstant New York Times BestsellerA searing, vital investigation of the Republican Party’s dangerous campaign to rewrite recent history in real time, from the Emmy Award-winning Rachel Maddow Show producer and bestselling author of The Impostors.“There is nobody who is writing in an episodic way who has more influence on the way I think about politics than Steve Benen.” —Rachel Maddow For as long as historical records have existed, authoritarian regimes have tried to rewrite history to suit their purposes, using their dictatorial powers to create myths, spread propaganda, justify decisions, erase opponents, and even dispose of crimes.As the Republican Party becomes increasingly radicalized, the GOP is putting their own twist on a similarly despotic script. Indeed, the party is taking dangerous, aggressive steps to

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Book SynopsisIn July 1917, when the Provisional Government issued a warrant for his arrest, Lenin fled from Petrograd; later that year, the October Revolution swept him to supreme power. In the short intervening period he spent in Finland, he wrote his impassioned, never-completed masterwork The State and Revolution. This powerfully argued book offers both the rationale for the new regime and a wealth of insights into Leninist politics. It was here that Lenin justified his personal interpretation of Marxism, savaged his opponents and set out his trenchant views on class conflict, the lessons of earlier revolutions, the dismantling of the bourgeois state and the replacement of capitalism by the dictatorship of the proletariat. As both historical document and political statement, its importance can hardly be exaggerated.Translated and edited with an introduction by Robert ServiceTable of ContentsPart 1 Class society and the state: the state as the product of the irreconcilability of class contradictions; special bodies of armed men, prisons, etc.; the state as an instrument for the exploitation of the oppressed class; the "withering away" of the state and violent revolution. Part 2 The state and revolution - the experience of 1848-51: the eve of the revolution; the revolution in summary; the presentation of the question by Marx in 1852. Part 3 The state and revolution - the experience of the Paris Commune of 1871 - Marx's analysis: what was heroic about the Communards' attempt?; with what is the smashed state machine to be replaced?; the eradication of the parliamentarianism; organization of the unity of the nation; the destruction of the parasite state. Part 4 Continuation - supplementary clarifications by Engels: the housing question; the polemic with the anarchists; letter to Bebel; critique of the draft of the Erfurt Programme; the 1891 Preface to Marx's "The Civil War in France"; Engels on the overcoming of democracy. Part 5 The economic basis for the withering away of the state: the presentation of the question by Marx; the transition from capitalism to Communisim; the first phase of Communist society; the higher phase of Communist society. Part 6 The vulgarization of Marxism by the opportunists: Plekhanov's polemic with the Anarchists; Kautsky's polemic with the opportunists; Kautsky's polemic with Pannekoek. Part 7 The experience of the Russian Revolutions of 1905 and 1917.

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Book SynopsisAndrew Rawnsley''s bestselling The End of the Party lifts the lid on the second half of New Labour''s spell in office.Through riveting inside accounts of all the key events from 9/11 and the Iraq War to the financial crisis and the parliamentary expenses scandal, Rawnsley takes us through the triumphs and tribulations of New Labour. With entertaining portraits of the main playershe exposes the astonishing feuds and reconciliations between Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Peter Mandelson.''Rawnsley has talked to everyone who has counted over the past ten years ... A brilliant account...a sheer delight for the political connoisseur. Almost every page provides a fresh insight or piece of information not previously in the public domain'' Peter Oborne, Daily Mail ''The book''s authority rests on an impressive breadth of research ... This lively Shakespearian account ... the most thorough, the most enjoyable and the most original book yet written about Ne

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Book SynopsisGUARDIAN AND NEW STATESMAN BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2017**Winner of best memoir at the Parliamentary Book Awards**Now with a new epilogue for the paperback''Compelling ... She has guts to spare ... An important story ... Role model? You bet'' Tim Shipman, Sunday Times''So human and inspiring, and my favourite book of the year so far'' Rohan Silva, GuardianWhen Harriet Harman started her career, men-only job adverts and a ''women''s rate'' of pay were the norm, female MPs were a tiny minority - a woman couldn''t even sign for a mortgage. But, she argues, we should never just be grateful that things are better now. There''s still more to do. In A Woman''s Work Harriet, Britain''s longest-serving female MP, looks at her own life to see how far we''ve come, and where we should go next. This is an inspiring and refreshingly honest account of the part she has played (and the setbacks Trade ReviewA personal memoir but also the story of women in politics and public life. Since Harriet entered parliament in 1982 ­ pregnant with her first child ­ she has seen the number of women MPs increase to more than 200. Many of us are there because of her -- Rachel Reeves, 'Books of the Year' * New Statesman *A Woman's Work is a fantastic and inspiring read which I would recommend to anyone interested in overcoming prejudice and promoting fairness. Over her 35 year career in Parliament no-one has fought harder or more effectively for gender equality than Harriet Harman. She is an outstanding role model -- John Bercow, Speaker of the House of CommonsIf I had a teenage daughter, especially one who didn't see the point of politics, this is the book I'd buy her. Chatty, accessible and occasionally eye-opening, it's a history of the things conventional political memoirs miss out ... a lively account of the one subject most political memoir writers know next to nothing about: how it felt to be a woman working in one of the least forgiving careers around -- Gaby Hinsliff * Guardian *Compelling ... She has guts to spare and is interesting on the difficulties of a work-life balance in parliament ... Her own judgments on her performance are commendably unsparing ... An important story ... Role model? You bet -- Tim Shipman, Political Editor * Sunday Times *A painfully honest memoir ... where lesser politicians would have slunk from public gaze, Harman reacted by getting tougher -- Mary Riddell * Sunday Telegraph *Countless blows have tempered Harman into something fearless and indestructible. Hell, why shouldn't this be her prime? -- Janice Turner * The Times *Fantastic - I can't recommend it highly enough * Open Labour *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewRichly nuanced, the most stimulating book I have read on Labour in ages. -- Martin Kettle * The Guardian *A brilliant book ... a reading of left-wing politics that suggests a road ahead. -- John Rentoul * Independent *Wide-ranging, clever and original, it's a vital read for anyone interested in not just left populism, but any sort of populism at all. -- Andrew Sparrow * The Guardian *A splendid critique of left-wing populism and Labour's electoral woes ... a thesis that convincingly accounts for the defeats of leaders as outwardly disparate as Michael Foot, Neil Kinnock and Ed Miliband, not to mention Jeremy Corbyn and, perhaps ultimately, his successor. -- James O'Brien * Times Literary Supplement *Chris Clarke's thought-provoking examination of the populist issues that have bedevilled the modern left is a bracing corrective to complacency. This dismantling of myths and memes alike, along with dispelling the belief that the left has any kind of monopoly on morality, is an essential read and a reminder that Keir Starmer has quite a job on his hands. -- Alexander Larman * The Observer *The best book written about the Labour Party in recent years ... a must read for those of us wanting the Labour Party to become once again a Party of Government. -- Douglas Alexander, former Minister of State for TradeA highly original take on Labour mythology and how this impacts the party's ability to connect with the voters ... offers one of the most innovative explanations of how Labour has lost its way over the past decade. -- Anthony Broxton * The Critic *

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