Politics and government Books

Book Synopsis"In 2015, when I ran to be mayor in Tower Hamlets, a smartly dressed middle-class man saw me wearing a headscarf and asked me what colour my hair was underneath it. I gave him a big smile. 'Pink,' I replied. Did I win his vote? I rather doubt it." Vivid, astute and full of humour, My Hair Is Pink Under This Veil offers a frank appraisal of life in modern Britain as seen through the eyes of a hijab-wearing Muslim woman. Rabina Khan writes with grace about her family's experiences building a new life in 1970s London before turning her attention to exploring the politics of the veil, white privilege and intersectional feminism. And in depicting her battle to build a successful political career against a backdrop of blame, bias and misogyny - including from her own community - Khan is clear-sighted about the struggles facing Muslim women today. Now fully updated with new material on the sexism facing women in politics, My Hair Is Pink Under This Veil is at its heart an inspiring story about the power of self-belief and determination to create a fairer world.Trade Review"A funny, engaging and moving memoir. Rabina captures nuances and shatters stereotypes." Fatima Manji, Channel 4 News

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Book Synopsis'You see, if only they didn’t speak English in America, then we’d treat it as a foreign country – and probably understand it a lot better’‘the sanest man in America’ – Bill Bryson‘Jon Sopel nails it’ – Emily Maitlis**With a brand new chapter, charting Trump's first year in power**As the BBC’s North America Editor, Jon Sopel has had a pretty busy time of it lately. In the time it’s taken for a reality star to go from laughing stock to leader of the free world, Jon has travelled the length and breadth of the United States, experiencing it from a perspective that most of us could only dream of: he has flown aboard Air Force One, interviewed President Obama and has even been described as ‘a beauty’ by none other than Donald Trump.Through music, film, literature, TV and even through the food we eat and the clothes that we wear we all have a highly developed sense of what America is and through our shared, tangled history we claim a special relationship. But America today feels about as alien a country as you could imagine. It is fearful, angry and impatient for change.In this fascinating, insightful portrait of American life and politics, Jon Sopel sets out to answer our questions about a country that once stood for the grandest of dreams, but which is now mired in a storm of political extremism, racial division and increasingly perverse beliefs.Trade ReviewJon Sopel may be the sanest man in America. He is certainly one of the most insightful … Immensely enjoyable * Bill Bryson *Jon Sopel nails it … If Only They Didn’t Speak English is an entertaining and enlightening stock take of how we got here. * Emily Maitlis, Presenter, BBC Newsnight *A wonderfully readable, perceptive account of what America looks like today through the eyes of a seasoned, informed but ultimately sympathetic observer. He addresses head-on such difficult questions as why it is America's most God-fearing opponents of abortion who are also the most passionate supporters of the gun lobby and the death penalty. He reminds us that President Trump's "America First" policy is nothing new – but that America made an invaluable contribution to Western Europe's defence of its liberty in two world wars. And he describes graphically how US Presidential politics became Reality TV in 2016, leaving us, rightly, with a deep sense of unease about the way fake facts and bare-faced lies, often encouraged by enemies of democracy abroad, now pose a real threat to the survival of our values and institutions. Read it alongside the late, great Lynne Olson's Citizens of London and J.D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. * Sir Peter Westmacott, Former British Ambassador to the United States *Jon Sopel tries to explain the madness of Trump's America with an elegant sense of stoic bewilderment. Brilliant * Emma Kennedy, Actress, Writer and Broadcaster *

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Book Synopsis'If you read one book about India, read this one.' Geeta Anand, Pulitzer Prize-winner and author of The Cure 'Mountain Tales is a remarkable feat of immersive reporting and story-telling, a deeply-felt exploration of ideas, and a gripping chronicle of the fates of the garbage-pickers of Mumbai ... I loved this book.' Suzy Hansen, author of Notes on a Foreign Country All of Mumbai's memories and castaway possessions come to die at the Deonar garbage mountains. And among these vast, teetering piles of discarded things - medical waste, rotten food, old clothes, broken glass and twisted metal - a small, forgotten community lives and works. Scouring the dump for whatever can be resold or recycled, waste pickers also mark the familiar milestones of babies born, love found, illnesses suffered and recovered from. Like a mirror image, their stories are shaped by the influx of unwanted things from the world outside. But now, as Deonar's toxic halo becomes undeniable, a change is coming. And as officials try to close it, the lives that the pickers have built on the Mountain seem more fragile than ever.Trade ReviewA terrific and thrilling book about people who are trapped in the gravitational force of a garbage mountain in Mumbai. Delightful and powerful. * Manu Joseph, author of Serious Men *Roy has a journalist's unflinching eye, a poet's talent for detail, and a radical sense of empathy that illuminates this account of the people who live on the Deonar garbage mountains. Urgent as a thriller, yet lingering in its unforgettable portraits of life, love and death, Mountain Tales deserves every accolade. A stunning achievement. -- Kiran Desai, Booker Prize-winning author of The Inheritance of Loss'Roy writes ... with utmost care and empathy ... [a] powerful book * Times of India *It is rare that a book is a deeply moving love story with unforgettable characters while also illuminating a country and a culture. Saumya Roy's book is a riveting love story set in the harrowing world of life as a trash picker on Mumbai's garbage mountain. Read it for a most delicious story, read it to understand India, read it to know what it is like to grow up in extreme poverty in the shadow of enormous wealth. If you read one book about India, read this one. -- Geeta Anand, Pulitzer Prize-winner and author of The CureSaumya Roy's gorgeous Mountain Tales is a remarkable feat of immersive reporting and story-telling, a deeply-felt exploration of ideas, and a gripping chronicle of the fates of the garbage-pickers of Mumbai; Roy immerses you so deeply in her characters' lives and physical environment that at times I felt I was experiencing them myself. I loved this book. -- Suzy Hansen, author of Notes on a Foreign CountryRoy unravels the truth about overconsumption, pollution, climate change and how the most vulnerable people bear the brunt of it all * Vogue India *A gut-wrenching story ... her lucid writing not only draws the reader but also helps to reflect upon how one person's trash impacts another's life -- Soma Basu * The Hindu *Gorgeous and heartbreaking ... Roy succeeds in humanizing her subjects while emphasizing the role that consumer culture plays in their degradation. ... Readers of Behind the Beautiful Forevers will be drawn to this harrowing portrait. * Publishers Weekly *A story of selflessness and sacrifice, of acceptance and renewal. The goodness in people, both in the streets where the Shaikh family lives and beyond comes to the fore ... A sense of mystery and wonderment gives Roy's tale a special edge -- Mustansir Delvi * Wire India *A revelation in the most shattering ways * GQ *Saumya Roy's Mountain Tales captures the unique story of Mumbai's garbage mountain at Deonar district and the people who survive around it ... a must-read * Telegraph India *This powerful real-life tale from India reads like fiction * Washington Independent Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisThis book has a message for everyone concerned about the direction of politics in Scotland, the UK and beyond: do not despair. There are realistic, left alternatives to being stuck in a political doom loop'.In 1975 the Red Paper on Scotland, edited by the young, radical Gordon Brown was a seminal publication; it helped create, not just catch, the mood of the day.Fifty years later a new group of writers have come together to write about what we can learn from the past and how we can shape what lies ahead.The authors of this book believe only a radical redistribution of wealth and power within a democratic economy will engage Scottish voters. It calls on us to Keep Left.

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Book SynopsisIn 2008, the first Green New Deal was devised by Pettifor and a group of English economist and thinkers, but was ignored within the tumults of the financial crash. A decade later, the ideas was revived within the democratic socialists in the US, forefront by Alexandria Ocasio Cortez. The Green New Deal demands a radical and urgent reversal of the current state of the global economy: including total de-carbonisation and a commitment to fairness and social justice.Critics on all sides have been quick to observe that the GND is a pipe dream that could never be implemented, and would cost the earth. But, as Ann Pettifor shows, we need to rethink the function of money, and how it works within the global system. How can we bail out the banks but not the planet? We have to stop thinking about the imperative of economic growth-nothing grows for ever. The program will be a long term project but it needs to start immediately.Trade ReviewThe Case for the Green New Deal succinctly explains what the GND is, where the idea came from, why it's necessary, and how to make it happen. As an economist and expert in monetary theory, Pettifor is uniquely well placed to describe how the GND can be funded. * Morning Star *Demanding drastic, even impossible change as...Pettifor [does] may just be a way to ensure that something is done. * Financial Times *This awareness-raising contribution to an important debate should expand our understanding of what's possible and encourage us to take action * Labour Briefing *The Case for the Green New Deal...serves to inform and inspire a politics of alternatives to the otherwise forthcoming destruction of our planet. * Counterfire *Crucially, Pettifor debunks the idea that we could not afford to fund [a Green New Deal], arguing that the state is capable of financing a zero-emissions programme if constraints are put on moving capital. * Independent - Best Climate Change Books *

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“One of the best informed and non-partisan accounts of the Syrian tragedy yet published.”—Patrick Cockburn, Independent"Provides genuinely valuable insight into the dynamics of a tragedy that will undoubtedly remain at the centre of the world’s attention for many years to come."—Daniel Falkiner, LSE Review of Books"This is the best work to date that focuses on the regional and international dimensions of the Syrian conflict. Christopher Phillips' research is meticulous, with both depth and breadth in large part gleaned from his interviews with top officials and representatives from most of the stakeholder states and groups in the war. A must-read for anyone who wants to better understand the multidimensional complexities of the conflict."—David Lesch, author of Syria: The Fall of the House of Assad"Syria's horrific civil war has been profoundly shaped by the competitive interventions and proxy wars by external powers. The Battle for Syria offers a brilliant, essential account of the international dimension of Syria's descent from uprising into insurgency and brutal state violence. This sober and judicious book will become a standard text for those seeking to understand Syria's tragedy."—Marc Lynch, author of The New Arab Wars: Anarchy and Uprising in the Middle East

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Book SynopsisPoliticians invoke grand ideas: social justice, democracy, community, liberty, equality. But what do these ideas really mean? How can politicians across the political spectrum appeal to the same values? This fourth edition of Adam Swift's highly readable introduction to political philosophy answers these important questions, and includes new material on issues such as nationalism, immigration and multiculturalism, as well as updated guides to further reading. This lively and accessible book is ideal for students, but it also brings the insights of the world's leading political philosophers to a wide general audience. Using plenty of examples, it equips readers to think for themselves about the ideas that shape political life. Democracy works best when both politicians and voters move beyond rhetoric to think clearly and carefully about the values and principles that should govern their society. But clear thinking is difficult in an age when established orthodoxies have fallen by the wayside and political debate is becoming increasingly tribal and raucous. Bringing political philosophy out of the ivory tower and within the reach of all, this book provides us with tools to cut through the complexities and penetrate the smokescreens of modern politics. In so doing, it makes a valuable contribution to the democratic process and this new edition will continue to be essential reading for students of political philosophy and theory.Trade Review‘As a teacher and a writer, Adam Swift’s career has been about connecting the high ideals of political theory with the vital fabric of everyday life. His book is a welcoming invitation into the world of political philosophy and urgent injunction to think more deeply and read more widely. This highly readable and relevant introduction to political thought is important reading for politicians and students alike.’Ed MillibandTable of ContentsPreface Preface to Fourth Edition Introduction Part 1: Social Justice Part 2: Democracy Part 3: Liberalism and Community Part 4: Liberty Part 5: Equality Conclusion Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"The best statement of the psychological position in the literature on international politics. Highly readable, informative, and thought-provoking."--Library Journal "This exceptional book is a landmark in the study of cognitive processes in government foreign policy decision making. It integrates a thorough grasp of major psychological theory and research concerning individual cognitive processes with a detailed and perceptive reading of numerous historical accounts of international politics."--Contemporary Psychology "A valuable contribution to the theoretical literature on international relations."--ChoiceTable of ContentsPREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION xiii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xci INTRODUCTION 3 I The Setting 1 Perception and the Level of Analysis Problem 13 Do Perceptions Matter? 13 The International Environment 18 Compulsion in Extreme Circumstances? 19 Domestic Determinants 21 The Bureaucracy 24 Perceptions, Reality, and a Two-Step Model 28 2 External Stimuli, Internal Processes, and Intentions 32 Introduction 32 External versus Internal Sources of Behavior 35 Intentions 48 Inaccurate Predictions about One's Own Behavior 54 3 Deterrence, the Spiral Model, and Intentions of the Adversary 58 Two Views of International Relations and the Cold War 58 Deterrence 58 The Spiral Model 62 Psychological Dynamics 67 Self-Fulfilling Prophecies and Problems with Incrementalism 76 Self-Defeating Power 78 Prescriptions 82 Universal Generalizations? 84 Evidence against the Spiral Model 84 Evidence against Deterrence 90 Deterrence and World War II; Spiral Model and World War I 94 When Will Force and Threats Work? The Decision-Maker's Choice 96 When Will Force and Threats Work? Hypotheses 100 Perceptions of Intention and Analyses of What ls at Stake 102 Other Explanations for the Differences between the Spiral and Deterrence Theories 107 Differences in Values 108 Claims for a Dominant Strategy 109 Dangers of Applying Gradualism to an Aggressive Adversary 110 Suggestions 111 II Processes of Perception 4 Cognitive Consistency and the Interaction between Theory and Data 117 Consistency: Rational and Irrational 117 Rational Consistency 119 Cognitive-Affective Balance 120 Source-Message Interaction 122 Implications 124 Irrational Consistency-Avoidance of Value Trade-Offs 128 Assimilation of Information to Pre-existing Beliefs 143 The Impact of Expectations on Perceptions 145 The Necessary Interdependence of Facts and Theories 154 The Interdependence between Facts and Theories in Science 156 The Impact of Categorization 162 Different Theories, Different Perceptions 163 The Emergence of New Theories and Images 165 Cognitive Distortion and Implications for Decision-Making 172 Failure to Recognize the Influence of Pre-Existing Beliefs 181 Excessive and Premature Cognitive Closure 187 Implications for Decision-Making 191 Confidence, Commitment, and Ambiguity 195 Implications for Decision-Making 201 5 The Impact of the Evoked Set 203 Evoked Set in the Absence of Communication 203 Communication and Estimating the Evoked Set of the Other 205 Misunderstandings within a Government: Differences in Information, Perspectives, and Time Lags 206 Uneven Distribution of Information within Governments 209 Differences in Evoked Set Caused by Differences in Concerns 211 Conclusions 215 6 How Decision-Makers Learn from History 217 Introduction 217 Lessons as Predispositions 222 Alternative Explanations 225 The Learning Process 227 Organizational Learning 238 Events from Which People Learn Most 239 Firsthand Experiences 239 Some Consequences 243 Alternative Explanations 246 Early Experiences and Generational Effects 249 Generational Effects 253 Alternative Explanations 257 Delayed Impact on Policy 260 Events Important to the Person's State or Organization 262 Revolutions 262 The Last War 266 Range of Available Alternative Analogies 270 What Lessons Do People Learn? 271 Impact of Constant Factors 271 Lessons about Specific Actors 274 Reactions to Failure 275 Nothing Fails like Success 278 Alternative Explanations 219 Summary 281 Appendix: The Impact of Domestic Politics and Training on Perceptual Predispositions 283 Learning from Domestic Politics 283 Training 287 7 Attitude Change 288 Introduction 288 Mechanisms of Attitude Preservation and Change 291 Centrality 297 The Rate at Which Discrepant Information Is Received 308 Beliefs Especially Resistant to Discrepant Information 310 III Common Misperceptions 8 Perceptions of Centralization 319 Unity and Planning 319 Plans, Not Accidents and Confusion 321 One Actor, Not Several 323 Special Cases 326 Variables Encouraging the Perception of Unity and Planning 327 Being Misinformed about One's Own Behavior 329 Misinformation about Physical Effects 331 Disobedience by Agents 332 Causes of Disobedience 332 Types of Disobedience 333 Consequences of Lack of Awareness of Agents' Behavior 334 Consequences of Perceptions of Unity and Planning 338 9 Overestimating One's Importance as Influence or Target 343 Introduction 343 Overestimating One's Effectiveness 344 Perceptions of Influence and Turning Points 348 Injury and Perceptions of the Other's Autonomy 349 Belief that the Other Understands that You Are Not a Threat 354 10 The Influence of Desires and Fears on Perceptions 356 Wishful Thinking 356 Experiments: Lack of Incentives for Accuracy 357 Desires or Expectations? 359 Direct Impact of Affect 361 Experimental Manipulation of Affect 361 Judgments of Desirability and Probability 362 Other Experiments 363 Wishful Thinking in International Relations 365 Perceptions of Danger: Vigilance or Defense? 372 Avoidance of Perceptions of Extreme Probabilities 378 Summary 380 11 Cognitive Dissonance and International Relations 382 Cognitive Dissonance Theory 382 Cognitive Dissonance and Inertia 387 The Magnitude of Dissonance 392 The Impact of Spending Resources 393 Incentives and Compulsion 399 Boomerang Effects 404 Summary 406 IV In Lieu of Conclusions 12 Minimizing Misperception 409 Making Assumptions and Predictions Explicit 410 Devil's Advocates 415 Conversions 418 Identities and Missions 418 Awareness of Common Misperceptions 423 BIBLIOGRAPHY 425 INDEX 433

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Book SynopsisFrom a globally renowned expert on Russian military strategy and national security, The Russian Way of Deterrence investigates Russia's approach to coercion (both deterrence and compellence), comparing and contrasting it with the Western conceptualization of this strategy. Strategic deterrence, or what Dmitry (Dima) Adamsky calls deterrence à la Russe, is one of the main tools of Russian statecraft. Adamsky deftly describes the genealogy of the Russian approach to coercion and highlights the cultural, ideational, and historical factors that have shaped it in the nuclear, conventional, and informational domains. Drawing on extensive research on Russian strategic culture, Adamsky highlights several empirical and theoretical peculiarities of the Russian coercion strategy, including how this strategy relates to the war in Ukraine. Exploring the evolution of strategic deterrence, along with its sources and prospective avenues of development, Adamsky provides a comprehensive intellectual history that makes it possible to understand the deep mechanics of this Russian stratagem, the current and prospective patterns of the Kremlin's coercive conduct, and the implications for policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic.Trade Review"With a sophisticated understanding of strategic culture and an encyclopedic review of recent military thinking by Russian authors, Dmitry (Dima) Adamsky presents a creative and convincing new argument about Russian deterrence strategy. This is a must-read for anyone in academia or the policy world who wants to know how Russia thinks about war."—Kimberly Marten, Barnard College, Columbia University"It is one thing to say, 'they don't think the way we do.' It is quite another to explore in depth how and why that is so—which is why The Russian Way of Deterrence is so profoundly important. A landmark work, invaluable today, and of enduring importance as a study of strategic culture."—Eliot Cohen, Johns Hopkins SAIS"Only Dmitry (Dima) Adamsky could have written this book, which brings together his knowledge of strategic culture, the evolution of modern Russian military thinking, and a deep knowledge of Russian military organizations. It comes at a time when it is needed."—Stephen Peter Rosen, Harvard University"In this rich and provocative book, Dmitry (Dima) Adamsky explores the distinctive approach to deterrence and coercion that has emerged in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Drawing on extensive research and careful analysis, Adamsky assesses the relevance of that new approach for understanding Russia's war against Ukraine."—David Holloway, Stanford University"A magisterial study, revealing the evolution of the theory and practice of deterrence within the Russian strategic community. In this insightful account, Dmitry (Dima) Adamsky excels in synthesizing the Russian approach to deterrence, and coercion, through the lens of strategic culture literature."—Michael Kofman, Center for Naval Analyses (CNA)"[A] timely and enlightening book.... [Adamsky] presents a rich analysis of Russian strategic culture focused on Russia's unique approach to coercion, which differs significantly from that of the West. This, he argues, is a product of Russia's history, culture and ideational influences."—Angela Stent, SurvivalTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1. Strategic Culture and Deterrence Scholarship 2. Genealogy of Deterrence à la Russe 3. Cultural Sources of Deterrence à la Russe 4. Critical Examination and Culmination Point 5. War in Ukraine and Avenues of Future Research Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“The Forgotten Palestinians strings together fragments, events, documents, and interviews into a coherent and convincing narrative in a way that will certainly lend itself to advancing future studies. In this way, Pappé’s book is also a cornerstone study, and one that will certainly produce many more in the same tradition, making this book both overdue and timely.”—Ryvka Barnard, Arab Studies Journal“An essential contribution.”—Magid Shihade, Journal of Palestine Studies “Ilan Pappé is Israel’s bravest, most principled, most incisive historian.”—John Pilger“The Forgotten Palestinians strings together fragments, events, documents, and interviews into a coherent and convincing narrative in a way that will certainly lend itself to advancing future studies. In this way, Pappé’s book is also a cornerstone study, and one that will certainly produce many more in the same tradition, making this book both overdue and timely.”—Ryvka Barnard, Arab Studies Journal -- Ryvka Barnard * Arab Studies Journal *“Pappe, in highly readable prose, gives us details and perspective about the history of the Arab community in the state's early years.”—David B. Green, Haaretz -- David B. Green * Haaretz *“This is undoubtedly an important book.”—Matt Hill, Review 31 -- Matt Hill * Review 31 *“Ilan Pappé is Israel’s bravest, most principled, most incisive historian.”—John Pilger -- John Pilger

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Book SynopsisArgues for the need to make care, not economics, the central concern of democratic political lifeTrade ReviewIn this wonderful book from one of todays leading feminist political theorists, Joan Tronto argues that democracy is in a time of crisisand she is right. Identifying the & passes that some of us get for sharing responsibility for care, particularly men and the wealthy, she calls for a & democratic care revolution. Though keenly aware of the personal and private character of many care activities, Tronto makes a compelling case for care as a public good and for rethinking the way in which caring responsibilities are carried out in order to achieve the freedom, equality, and justice that are necessary not only to better care, but to better democracy. Her notion of & caring with as a fundamental democratic ideal brings a much-needed corrective to the literature on care that enables us to think more concretely about how society needs to be restructured to meet the care needs of all citizens. The argument is thoughtful, careful, meticulous, and indeed, riveting. -- Nancy J. Hirschmann,author of Gender, Class, and Freedom in Modern Political TheoryIs democracy just a matter of voter turnout? No, Tronto argues in this important paradigm-shifting bookit also connects us to one another through a responsibility to care. The neo-liberal call to an & ownership society erodes that responsibility by giving out & passes. With the & bootstrap pass one can say, & its enough to care for me and mine. With the & charity pass one can say & well help only the few we chose.Read this book and open your eyes. -- Arlie Hochschild,author of The Outsourced Self: Intimate Life in Market TimesTable of ContentsC o n t e n t s Preface ixAcknowledgments xviiIntroduction: When Care Is No Longer "at Home" 1Part I : Envi s ioning a Caring D emocracy1 Redefining Democracy as Settling Disputesabout Care Responsibilities 172 Why Personal Responsibility Isn't Enough for Democracy 46Part I I : How We Care Now3 Tough Guys Don't Care ... Do They?Gender, Freedom, and Care 674 Vicious Circles of Privatized Caring:Care, Equality, and Democracy 955 Can Markets Be Caring? Markets, Care, and Justice 114Part I I I : Imagining D emocratic Caring Practice sand Caring D emocraci e s6 Democratic Caring 1397 Caring Democracy 169 Notes 183Bibliography 191Index 215About the Author 22

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Book SynopsisGeorge Orwell’s essay examines the power of language to shape political ideas. It is about the importance of writing concisely, clearly and precisely and the dangers to our ability to think when language, especially political language, is obscured by vague, clichéd phrases and hackneyed metaphors. In it, he argues that when political discourse trades clarity and precision for stock phrases, the debasement of politics follows. First published in Horizon in 1946, Orwell’s essay was soon recognised as an important text, circulated by newspaper editors to their journalists and reprinted in magazines and anthologies of contemporary writing. It continues to be relevant to our own age.

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Book SynopsisDavid Graeber surveys the political landscape for signs of hope in unexpected places.

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive study of cooperation among the advanced capitalist countries. It analyzes the institutions, or 'international regimes', through which cooperation has taken place in the world political economy and describes the evolution of these regimes as American hegemony has eroded.Trade ReviewWinner of the 1989 Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 1984 "Can cooperation increase if there is no hegemony? Yes, says Professor Keohane in this outstanding book... The author's painstaking consideration of difficulties and objections should show how often narrow assumptions and obscurantist jargon have led to loose thinking and worse policy conclusions."--Foreign Affairs "[T]he 'state-of-the-art' publication on the influential, and somewhat controversial, idea of 'regime' in the study of international political economy. The concept is provided with its most thoroughgoing, cogent and stimulating defence."--R. J. Barry Jones, Political Studies "This is vital and powerful stuff. It makes a major contribution towards breaking the destructive polarization between realism and idealism which for far too long has obscured intellectual middle ground of real importance to policy-making."--Barry Buzan, International Affairs "This book takes a major step toward bringing economic reasoning and understanding of politics to bear on questions of international political economy."--James E. Alt, Journal of Economic Literature From review of Princeton's original edition: "The 'state of the art' publication on the influential, and somewhat controversial, idea of 'regime' in the study of international political economy."--Political Studies

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Book SynopsisMeet Blackwater USA, the private army that the US government has quietly hired to operate in international war zones and on American soil. Its contacts run from military and intelligence agencies to the upper echelons of the White House; it has a military base, a fleet of aircraft and 20,000 troops, but since September 2007 the firm has been hit by a series of scandals that, far from damaging the company, have led to an unprecedented period of expansion. This revised and updated edition includes Scahill's continued investigative work into one of the outrages of our time: the privatisation of war.Trade ReviewMeticulously researched and fascinating ... Scahill does a fine job * Sunday Times *Scahill deserves commendation. * New Statesman *Blackwater is the utterly gripping and explosive story of how the Bush Administration has spent hundreds of millions of public dollars building a parallel corporate army, an army so loyal to far right causes it constitutes nothing less than a Republican Guard. The most important and chilling book about the death throes of U.S. democracy you will read in years and a triumph of investigative reporting. -- Naomi Klein, author No LogoAn explosive piece of investigative journalism -- Ben Myers * Shortlist *Of all the insane Bush privatization efforts, none is more frightening than the corporatizing of military combat forces. Jeremy Scahill admirably exposes a devastating example of this sinister scheme. -- Michael Moore, Academy Award Winning DirectorA powerful argument against the privatisation of war... exemplary... If the job of writing about "the rise of the world's most powerful mercenary army" seems mightily ambitious, it has been undertaken by just the right person... he's the sort of writer who sets out the evidence and lets us make up our own minds * Big Issue *Revelatory -- Aimee Shalan * Guardian *An exhaustively well-researched expose -- Alastair Mabbott * Herald *[A] revealing study -- Tom Widger * Sunday Tribune *

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Book SynopsisCNN “Book of the Week”Featuring a foreword by Henry KissingerThe grand strategist and founder of modern Singapore offers key insights and opinions on globalization, geopolitics, economic growth, and democracy in a series of interviews with the author of Destined for War, and others“If you are interested in the future of Asia, which means the future of the world, you’ve got to read this book.” —Fareed Zakaria, CNN When Lee Kuan Yew speaks, presidents, prime ministers, diplomats, and CEOs listen. Lee, the founding father of modern Singapore and its prime minister from 1959 to 1990, has honed his wisdom during more than fifty years on the world stage. Almost single-handedly responsible for transforming Singapore into a Western-style economic success, he offers a unique perspective on the geopolitics of East and West. American presidents from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama have wel

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Book SynopsisAn Evening Standard's Book of the Year'A tour de force.' David GoodhartAll over the West, party systems have shattered and governments have been thrown into turmoil. The embattled establishment claims that these populist insurgencies seek to overthrow liberal democracy. The truth is no less alarming but is more complex: Western democracies are being torn apart by a new class war.In this controversial and groundbreaking analysis, Michael Lind, one of America's leading thinkers, debunks the idea that the insurgencies are primarily the result of bigotry and reveals the real battle lines. He traces how the breakdown of class compromises has left large populations in Western democracies politically adrift. We live in a globalized world that benefits elites in high income 'hubs' while suppressing the economic and social interests of those in more traditional lower-wage 'heartlands'.A bold framework for understanding the world, The New Class War argues that only a fresh class settlement can avert a never-ending cycle of clashes between oligarchs and populists - and save democracy.Trade ReviewSharply argued... Lind's book offers a bracing, and at times brilliant, polemic. * Edward Luce, FT *Lind's diagnosis is sharp and insightful... an invaluable contribution to understanding the political currents of our times and placing them in a historical context. Long after we have stopped talking about Trump and Brexit, the challenges Lind identifies will define our debate. * The Times *[Lind's] primary thesis is correct, and his tome contains a myriad of powerful insights and brilliant vignettes. * Allister Heath, Daily Telegraph *Lind's argument is compelling and clear. * Sunday Times *The best analysis of populism I have yet read, including a brilliant put-down of the absurd idea that the Russians are destabilising our politics. * Evening Standard *A tour de force. In a pithy, but subtle, analysis of western politics Lind argues that populism is a reaction against a technocratic neoliberalism that has stripped non-college-educated workers of economic bargaining power, political influence and cultural dignity. * David Goodhart – bestselling author of The Road to Somewhere *Hard-hitting, compelling and ultimately convincing. A lot has been written about the current era of political turbulence, but a lot of this work misses the mark. If you want to beat the populists, start here. * Matthew Goodwin – Professor of Politics at the University of Kent *Does it seem to you that Western society is coming apart, in ways that you don't understand? If so, then you must read this book. Lind's insights are so profound that I found myself highlighting almost every paragraph. * Jonathan Haidt, bestselling author of The Righteous Mind *Vital reading. Michael Lind is one of America's great iconoclasts. * Roger Eatwell – Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of Bath *A brave and timely book. Michael Lind has written an indispensable guide to our present political backdrop. By linking geography and class through the concepts of 'hubs and heartlands', he develops a generous understanding of the appeal of sovereignty and democratic politics to working class people who have been excluded from not only power, but participation in their national politics. * Maurice Glasman, founder of Blue Labour *Excellent... If you want to understand the political defeat of liberalism and the coming realignment in capitalist democracies read this book. * Jonathan Rutherford, emeritus professor of cultural studies at Middlesex University. *Table of Contents0: Introduction 1: The New Class War 2: Hubs and Heartlands 3: World Wars and New Deals 4: The Neoliberal Revolution from Above 5: The Populist Counterrevolution from Below 6: Russian Puppets and Nazis 7: The Workerless Paradise 8: Countervailing Power 9: Making the World Safe for Democratic Pluralism 10: Epilogue

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Book Synopsis'The powerful new voice of her generation' The Times 'Funny, nuanced and wonderful' Jon Ronson ‘A book that had me hollering, nodding and questioning at the same time' Candice Carty-Williams, author of Queenie ------- A candid exploration of the state of outrage in our culture, and how we can channel it back into the fights that matter, from presenter and DJ Ashley 'Dotty' Charles. In this wise and very funny journey into the outrage industry, Ashley 'Dotty' Charles explores how by shouting about everything, we have lost sight of the fights that actually matter - and created a world where our outrage feels with consequence. Here's how we can get it back on track. ------- 'Funny, educational, enlightening . . . Way ahead of its time' Chris Evans 'A smart and timely manifesto for surviving the age of rage' i 'Everyone with a social media account should read this book' Bella Mackie 'A swipe at the empty rhetoric of activism' ObserverTrade ReviewA great read . . . Charles is very funny, but the irreverent and chatty tone leads you to important ponderings . . . Outraged is a study of flash activism and why it doesn’t last, and its message is rendered all the more relevant for it being published in the midst of a flash of activism that simply must * The Times *A swipe at the empty rhetoric of activism that only exists with a hashtag online * Observer *As Charles puts it, plenty of people are playing the “sport of outrage” but who is keeping score? . . . Makes many worthwhile points . . . If her plea for people to turn down the heat, except when it matters most, is heeded, then Charles will have given valuable service in helping to improve public discourse * Evening Standard *A radio host explores how reflexive outrage weakens the social discourse and, counterintuitively, makes it harder to effect real change regarding the issues that outrage us in the first place * New York Times Book Review *DJ and presenter Charles tackles cancel culture head on with this vigorous polemic * i, Summer Reads *A timely new release, Outraged reminds us how to keep some perspective in a social and political landscape where many cause offence without thought to the consequences * Radio Times *A refreshing rallying call for the return of real activism and a guide to living through the age of outrage. Sharply funny too * Psychologies *Cackled my way through this . . . A bold and hilarious exploration of how we use our energy online, and whether we’re wasting our rage on the wrong things when we could use it collectively to make actual change. It definitely made me re-evaluate my online priorities -- Megan Jayne Crabbe * Stylist *Books about wokeness are typically written by a very specific type of conservative figure. Dotty rips up the rulebook in order to write a thought-provoking but never provocative book about the Outrage Era: how did we get here? Where have we gone wrong? And how can we find our way back? Deep dives into clicktivism, tribalism and ‘the Choir Effect’ of public shame jostle alongside interviews with controversial figures like Rachel Dolezal and arch provocateur Katie Hopkins, in order to create a witty, thoughtful and ever-so-thoughtful guide to getting our outrage back on track -- Pandora SykesOutraged is a timely reminder to keep perspective. To question who we actually help when we rush to yell online. Dotty writes with humour and measure, always keen to explore rather than condemn. Everyone with a social media account should read this book -- Bella MackieThis superb polemic is a penetrating exploration of the sorry state of outrage in our culture. Through interviews with Rachel Dolezal, Katie Hopkins and others, Charles shows that by so quickly leaping on the outrage bandwagon, we are actually debasing the quality of our civil discourse . . . I underlined something on almost every page * Bookseller *

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Book Synopsis‘Deep adaptation’ refers to the personal and collective changes that might help us to prepare for – and live with – a climate-influenced breakdown or collapse of our societies. It is a framework for responding to the terrifying realization of increasing disruption by committing ourselves to reducing suffering while saving more of society and the natural world. This is the first book to show how professionals across different sectors are beginning to incorporate the acceptance of likely or unfolding societal breakdown into their work and lives. They do not assume that our current economic, social and political systems can be made resilient in the face of climate change but, instead, they demonstrate the caring and creative ways that people are responding to the most difficult realization with which humanity may ever have to come to terms. Edited by the originator of the concept of deep adaptation, Jem Bendell, and a leading climate activist and strategist, Rupert Read, this book is the essential introduction to the concept, practice and emerging global movement of Deep Adaptation to climate chaos.Trade Review“The authors of this book have courage to recognise the reality of our time and face the uncomfortable facts of climate calamity. The theme of this book is indeed scary. But it’s full of bright ideas for how to transmute both fear and difficulty into kind and wise ways of living and working. The thinkers, academics and activists who have contributed to this book embody the wisdom to adapt to this unprecedented catastrophe. They also show the practical ways and means to live and act with the imagination and resilience. Not everyone would agree to these radical ideas but everyone needs to know about them. So, I recommend this book to all.”Satish Kumar, Editor Emeritus Resurgence & Ecologist and Founder, Schumacher College“This book is the “red pill” of our times, offering neither certainty nor confirmation of any story you may be holding about where we are heading in the face of so many colliding crises. What it does offer is togetherness in our insecurity and frameworks in our unknowing for coming to terms with and making sense of these times. I look forward to both “deep adaptation” and “collapsology” entering mainstream discourse, so that we might then imagine creating together, as our current paradigm crumbles.”Gail Bradbrook, co-founder, Extinction Rebellion“The contributors are unafraid to challenge conventional wisdom on the climate crisis and go against the grain with a provocative assessment of what we are now able to achieve and where we should focus our efforts.”Ecologist“Collapse followed by transformation is a common way that complex systems evolve. Perhaps collapse of our high consumption, climate-destabilising society can lead to transformation towards a brighter human future. The Deep Adaptation framework outlined in this book is a helpful way to seek that transformation.”Professor Will Steffen, Australian National University Climate Change Institute“In this book I am joined by scholars from around the world who seek to be present to the suffering and difficulties of our time. Please turn toward these ideas, not away, to find your own path in a turbulent future.”Joanna Macy, author of A Wild Love for the World“Deep Adaptation is only the beginning – it is one in which we expand our thinking and open ourselves to the possibility of a completely new emergent paradigm, as yet unknown. That fills me with curious hope.”Maddy Harland, Permaculture Magazine“riveting”Times Literary Supplement“Lucid, productive, and necessary… Bendell succeeds in distilling a terrifying future into a series of questions that invite people into conversation. By doing so, he gives us a language to speak the unthinkable.”SalonTable of ContentsIntroduction: what now the limits are breached?Jem Bendell and Rupert ReadPart I: The Predicament1. The scientific case of global over-heating and the root of denial2. Deep Adaptation: a map for navigating climate tragedyJem Bendell3. The reasons for anticipating collapsePablo Servigne, Raphaël Stevens, Gauthier Chapelle, Daniel RodaryPart II: Shifts in Being4. Climate Psychology and its Relevance to Deep AdaptationAdrian Tait5. Deeper implications of societal collapse: co-liberation from the ideology of e-s-c-a-p-e.Jem Bendell6. Unconscious addictions: mapping common responses to climate change and potential climate collapseRene Suša, Sharon Stein, Vanessa Andreotti, Tereza ajkova, Dino Siwek, and the Gesturing Towards Decolonial Collective7. Facilitating Deep Adaptation - enabling more loving conversations about our predicamentKatie Carr and Jem Bendell8. The Great Turning: Reconnecting through CollapseSean Kelly and Joanna MacyPart III: Shifts in Doing9. Leadership and management in a context of deep adaptationJonathan Gosling10. What Matters Most? Deep Education Conversations in a Climate of Change and ComplexityCharlotte Von Bulow and Charlotte Simpson11. Riding two horses: The future of politics and activism, as we face potential eco-driven societal collapseRupert Read12. Relocalisation as Deep AdaptationMatthew Slater and Skeena RathorConcluding the Beginning of Deep AdaptationJem Bendell and Rupert Read

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Book Synopsis''I lap up everything John Crace writes gratefully: I love his cleverness, his wit, and his heart'' Nigella LawsonFrom the ingeniously quick-witted John Crace comes a satirical memoir from the eyes of his beloved dog, Herbie. And as a Westminster veteran, boy does he have some stories to share.It started when a chance encounter with Sadiq Khan''s Labrador landed Herbie a job working as a special advisor to Ed Miliband in 2014. Then he was summoned by David Cameron to work on the Remain campaign in the EU referendum. He experienced the pain of working with Theresa May; was sacked and then rehired by Boris Johnson to advise on Covid; was at Balmoral when the Queen died; had a ringside seat for Liz Truss; was fired by Rishi Sunak and then latterly taken on by Keir Starmer.This is the story the politicians didn''t want you to know. What are Larry the Cat and Dilyn the Dog really like? How did Charlotte Owen get a peerage? Herbert Hound, final

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Book SynopsisThis new biography of JFK offers a comprehensive analysis of the man, the leader, and the cultural icon. Mark White, the leading authority in Britain on JFK, draws on more than 30 years of research to provide a nuanced portrait of one of the most iconic figures in American and world history. John F. Kennedy was a president like no other, with a movie star's public image and an extraordinary private life. He was no less remarkable politically, with his achievements including the resolution of the 1961 Berlin crisis and the Cuban missile crisis, the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and a strong commitment to civil rights. This book provides what no previous biography has: an in-depth analysis of not only JFK's political life, particularly his record as a policymaker in the White House, but also his private life, his role as a cultural icon, and what might have happened to a Kennedy presidency had he not been assassinated. This sophisticated, multi-dimensional b

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Book SynopsisFor more than two centuries, our political life has been divided between a party of progress and a party of conservation. In The Great Debate , Yuval Levin explores the origins of the left/right divide by examining the views of the men who best represented each side of that debate at its outset: Edmund Burke and Thomas Paine. In a ground-breaking exploration of the roots of our political order, Levin shows that American partisanship originated in the debates over the French Revolution, fueled by the fiery rhetoric of these ideological titans. Levin masterfully shows how Burke''s and Paine''s differing views, a reforming conservatism and a restoring progressivism, continue to shape our current political discourse,on issues ranging from abortion to welfare, education, economics, and beyond. Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand Washington''s often acrimonious rifts, The Great Debate offers a profound examination of what conservatism, liberalism, and the debate between them truly amount to.Trade Review"Yuval Levin, whose sharp thinking was honed at the University of Chicago's Committee on Social Thought...is one of conservatism's most sophisticated and measured explicators." -George F. Will, Washington Post "The Great Debate's architecture is clever and intellectually persuasive... A thoughtful introduction to this famous paradigmatic opposition." -Washington Post "Levin enters into another great debate that riles academia: between historians insisting upon the uniqueness and specificity of events, which defy abstractions and generalizations, and philosophers impatient with the ephemera and contingency of events, which do not rise to the level of truth and certainty. Here too he rises to the occasion, satisfying the scruples of historians and philosophers alike. From a debate raged about an event centuries ago, he deduces truths that illuminate some of our most vexing political and social problems today." -Weekly Standard "A judicious, nuanced, and accessible precis that reveals both Burke and Paine to be complicated and compelling thinkers. This sympathetic treatment of the two men, in turn, allows Levin to paint an intellectual picture of right and left that is more gray than black and white, something all too rare today." -Democracy Journal "[Has] potential to have long-lasting impact on a reader... Levin's book forces the reader to stop and create space for thought and reflection, and does not spoon-feed easy answers or applications to today's politics. It does, however, raise serious questions about whether the new obsession with 'data-based' decision-making, the Nate Silver-ization of journalism and politics, could be taken too far if we come to believe that everything in public life can be answered by the scientific method. It also poses significant queries worth grappling with for those rightly concerned about the growing gap between rich and poor. Levin echoes Burke's challenge to reformers to proceed with caution, and with humility." -Huffington Post "The Great Debate's excellent writing about 18th-century history and political theory will inform and educate readers." -Washington Independent Review of Books "In this rigorous yet accessible work, Levin contextualizes the positions of British philosopher Edmund Burke, who has been viewed as both the founder of modern conservatism and an example of classical liberalism, and Thomas Paine, the author of several classic political texts, including Common Sense and The Rights of Man." -Shelf Awareness "Levin's critique of liberalism is powerful and to be expected. But what makes his book much more interesting is his truly trenchant critique of his fellow conservatives as well. And it is a critique well-taken. I'd be much tougher on them, but this book is a tonic for a new discourse." -Andrew Sullivan, The Dish "Must-read primer on America's ideological faultline...[a] wonderful new book...a readable intellectual history that fairly crackles with contemporary relevance. The must-read book of the year for conservatives--especially those conservatives who are profoundly and genuinely baffled by the declining popularity of the GOP as a national party." -American Conservative's State of the Union Blog "Mr. Levin, the editor of the journal National Affairs and a former aide to both Speaker Gingrich and President George W. Bush, provides a valuable service by dusting off the writings of Burke and Paine and by clearly, concisely, and accessibly summarizing them in a way that highlights their relevance to contemporary politics and policy... The monarchist Burke and the religious skeptic Paine, an early supporter of the bloody French revolution, would seem to be unlikely models for today's American politicians of either party. But Mr. Levin has made a convincing case that, 200 years later, we can still learn from both men." -New York Sun "Two seminal thinkers anticipate the modern split between progressives and conservatives in this insightful study of 18th-century political theory. National Affairs editor Levin presents a lucid analysis of the ideological confrontation between Paine...and Burke...he succeeds in establishing the continued relevance of Burke's thought and prescient critique of revolutionary excesses." --Publishers Weekly "Making intricate contrasts between Paine and Burke throughout, Levin perceptively demonstrates the philosophical routes to liberalism and conservatism for politics-minded readers." --Booklist "The Great Debate brilliantly brings out the richness of the tradition underlying our politics. It reminds us that politics is an intellectually serious thing that deserves better than the shallowness and cynicism that fills our political conversations. It reminds us that the right and left are each rooted in a desire to see politics serve the cause of human flourishing, even if they understand that cause very differently. And by the way, Burke was right." --Peggy Noonan, columnist, The Wall Street Journal "Yuval Levin's lucid and learned investigation of our origins is not only a study in the history of ideas, it is also a summons to first principles. Like Burke and Paine, Levin believes that philosophies are buried in the shabbiness of politics. His book is both clarifying and complicating: he writes sympathetically about both sides of the heroic disputation that he describes, and so his book will have the salutary effect of shattering ideological complacence. In our infamously polarized climate, The Great Debate may even be a public service." --Leon Wieseltier "The Great Debate is an exciting, narrative adventure in the contest of ideas. With two world-shaking revolutions as background, Levin brilliantly explains how two great minds shaped the broad debate between left and right that still governs our political debates today." --William J. Bennett, former Secretary of Education and author of America: The Last Best Hope "The polarized character of contemporary American politics is widely noted, yet the intellectual origins of the division between right and left remain obscure. In his deeply historically informed and elegantly argued book, Yuval Levin casts a brilliant light on the matter. It is a work of lasting significance that will instruct liberals and conservatives alike on their intellectual heritage." --Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions, Princeton UniversityTable of ContentsOne. Two Lives in the Arena Two. Nature and History Three. Justice and Order Four. Choice and Obligation Five. Reason and Prescription Six. Revolution and Reform Seven. Generations and the Living

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Book SynopsisBritain's 2016 vote to leave the EU was the most momentous democratic decision ever made in British history. No development since the Second World War is likely to have more far-reaching consequences for the British economy, society, politics and culture. Some predict it will lead eventually to the break-up of the UK, others to the end of the EU, others to an enhanced likelihood of war in Europe and beyond. The vote to leave took just a single day, but the decision to call the referendum followed several months of agonising in No. 10, while the ground for Britain's departure was sown over many, many years. When Britain entered the EU in 1973, it was known as 'the sick man of Europe'. When it voted to leave in 2016, it had the fastest-growing economy in the G7,and it was both the world's top soft power and one of its most creative and tolerant nations. Why have we risked all this? Ask the guilty men, who, for reasons of personal gain, misplaced ideology or sheer folly, have jeopardised all our futures.Trade Review"Compelling, incisive and devastating. Cato the Younger identifies the Guilty Men of Brexit in the way his great-grandfather exposed those to blame for appeasement in the 1930s. To paraphrase Churchill, never in recent times has so much damage been inflicted by so few on so many. It will take leadership of his calibre to reverse the folly. None is in sight." - Andrew Adonis

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Book SynopsisA WATERSTONES BEST HISTORY BOOK OF 2023'A masterful portrait of one of the world's greatest cities... A must-read' PETER FRANKOPAN'Such a delightful read' KATJA HOYER, The Times'Berlin may well be Europe's most enigmatic city and John Kampfner is the ideal guide.' JONATHAN FREEDLAND, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Escape Artist'Gripping' Financial TimesNo other city has had so many lives, survived so many disasters and has reinvented itself so many times. No other city is like Berlin.Ever since John Kampfner was a young journalist in Communist East Berlin, he hasn't been able to get the city out of his mind. It is a place tortured by its past, obsessed with memories, a place where traumas are unleashed and the traumatised have gathered.Over the past four years Kampfner has walked the length and breadth of Berlin, delving into the archives, and talking to historians and writers, architects and archaeologists. He clambers onto a fallen statue of Lenin; he rummages in boxes of early Medieval bones; he learns about the cabaret star so outrageous she was thrown out of the city.Berlin has been a military barracks, industrial powerhouse, centre of learning, hotbed of decadence - and the laboratory for the worst experiment in horror known to man. Now a city of refuge, it is home to 180 nationalities, and more than a quarter of the population has a migrant background. Berlin never stands still. It is never satisfied. But it is now the irresistible capital to which the world is gravitating. In Search of Berlin is an 800-year story, a dialogue between past and present; it is a new way of looking at this turbulent and beguiling city on its never-ending journey of reinvention.Trade Review'A delightful read... Kampfner's book, with its flurry of anecdotes and observations, captures [Berlin's] sense of disorder. He refuses to define a city that has never been able to define itself, instead presenting readers with the city's infinitely captivating mayhem.' -- Katja Hoyer * The Times *A masterful portrait of one of the world's greatest cities. John Kampfner captures the many histories of Berlin - the joys and the beauties, the horrors and the suffering, the divisions and the dreams. A must-read. -- Peter FrankopanA gripping story of the events that led to the creation of Germany's capital city... what better guide [to Berlin] than John Kampfner' * Financial Times *It is a Meisterwerk - a biography of the city that never fails to entertain and inform - but it is also more than that. Kampfner has given me a longing to return * Literary Review *Berlin may well be Europe's most enigmatic city and John Kampfner - curious, sceptical and with an eye for the arresting detail - is the ideal guide. -- Jonathan Freedland, the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Escape ArtistWritten in an accessible, journalistic style... John Kampfner succeeds in opening up illuminating vistas across the centuries with considerable verve... he makes a valuable and distinctive contribution, providing an easy and highly readable introduction to the city for those who are not familiar with its landscapes of the past, the many traces of which continue to fascinate and infuriate visitors and residents today. * Times Literary Supplement *John Kampfner is an ideal guide to Berlin, its history and people, in this tour de force -- Orlando FigesNo-one is better qualified than John Kampfner to write about Berlin - that living palimpsest of German, and thus European, history. His knowledge is both deep - historical, analytical - and wide, drawn from a large diaspora of knowledgeable contacts. One of Europe's foremost intellectuals, Kampfner is also incapable of writing a dull sentence, which allows this book to succeed as history, travel book, autobiography, treatise and love-letter. * Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny *Modern Germany is one of the political wonders of the world and John Kampfner one of its finest interpreters. It is a delight to have the two come together in this fascinating book. -- Daniel Finkelstein, the Sunday Times bestselling author of Hitler, Stalin, Mum and DadThis book will have you hurrying back to one of the most fascinating cities on earth. John Kampfner is a brilliant guide as he excavates layer after layer of Berlin's 800-year history, as it lurches from destruction to decadence, from horror to hope. A gripping, rich read full of personal anecdote seamlessly interwoven with scholarly detail. -- Julie EtchinghamA brilliant but vexing love affair with a city that gets under the skin. Kampfner eloquently captures Berlin - a place of perpetual reinvention, lurid dreams, grotesque nightmares and impossible ideas. Rarely is scratching an itch as much fun as it is in Berlin. -- Matt FreiA beautifully researched, thoughtful and personal examination of Berlin's history. Sometimes it needs the perspective of an outsider to see a place clearly. -- Annette DittertExcellent and provocative * The Sunday Times on Why The Germans Do It Better *One of the best English-language introductions in recent years to modern Germany and its politics: thoughtful, deeply reported and impeccably even-handed * The Times on Why the Germans Do it Better *Highly readable and well-informed... [Kampfner] mixes historical sweep with vivid reporting to celebrate Germany's strengths and achievements * Financial Times on Why the Germans Do it Better *With insights based on painstaking research and evidence gleaned from months crisscrossing the country... Kampfner's analysis is simply peerless * Literary Review on Why the Germans Do it Better *One of Britain's most distinguished political writers * Mail on Sunday on Why the Germans Do it Better *Kampfner roams widely in Germany and has a reporter's ear for the telling anecdote. He knows his history too -- Lionel Barber * The Spectator on Why the Germans Do it Better *Table of Contents1: Eight hundred years and one world house 2: Nobody's palace 3: A very modern conflict 4: Les nouveaux Prussiens 5: The torments of hell 6: Sparta and Athens 7: Reformers and radicals 8: Finally, very rich 9: Sleeping in shifts 10: At the edge of my days 11: The city that cannot stop remembering 12: Subsidy city 13: Erich's lamp shop 14: They came and never left 15: Back where they belong 16: Fear of normality

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisIn the second edition of The New Middle East: What Everyone Needs to Know, renowned Middle East scholar James L. Gelvin explains how in the aftermath of the collapse of the USSR, the American invasion of Iraq, and the Arab uprisings of 2010-11, a new Middle East has emerged. Syria, Libya, and Yemen have become crisis states, where warlords vie against governments and each other. The economies of Iran, Turkey, and Lebanon, weakened by corruption, sanctions, and neoliberal economic policies, have imploded. Some states have doubled-down on repression, while others intervene in the internal affairs of their neighbors with impunity. The revised and expanded edition explores these hallmarks of the New Middle East, along with the end of American hegemony in the region, the expansion of conflict zones, the continued centrality of the Saudi-Iranian competition, and the ramifications of the breakdown of the Israel-Palestine peace process. It also highlights the crisis of human security brought oTrade ReviewBalanced, rigorous, and sparkling with insights, The New Middle East: What Everyone Needs to Know is a wonderful primer on a region long dominated by polemics and easy generalizations. James L. Gelvin brings a historian's sensibility and jargon-free prose to illuminate the afflictions that have wracked the modern Middle East-civil war, militancy, and authoritarianism, to name a few-while never losing sight of its enormous human potential. This is a must-read for veteran observers and newcomers alike. * Frederic Wehrey, Senior Fellow, Middle East Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, author of Sectarian Politics in the Gulf: From the Iraq War to the Arab Uprisings? *

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Book SynopsisHow democracies compete with autocracies to bias international order in their favor—and why democracies are losingTrade Review“John Owen, one of the world’s leading liberal international relations theorists, has written a fascinating book, which argues that American democracy’s wellbeing requires a world heavily populated by other democracies.”—John J. Mearsheimer, coauthor of How States Think: The Rationality of Foreign Policy “Liberal democracy is under threat almost everywhere. John M. Owen does not flinch from telling us how we arrived at where we are nor from providing bold ideas about how we can plot a way out of the crisis we find ourselves in. A tour de force.”—Michael Cox, author of Agonies of Empire: American Power from Clinton to Biden“Few scholars have written more incisively about ideas in international relations than John M. Owen. In this important book, he explains their role in great power competition and outlines principles for reinforcing American democracy at home and sustaining the liberal order abroad.”—Eric S. Edelman, former Undersecretary for Defense for Policy“The Ecology of Nations is both learned and lucid. Owen provides a framework that synthesizes complex debates about democracy, liberalism, and the international order and clears a path for new thinking both at home and abroad.”—Anne-Marie Slaughter, Bert G. Kerstetter ’66 University Professor Emerita of Politics and International Affairs, Princeton University

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Book Synopsis''A powerful corrective'' Guardian ''This should be compulsory reading'' Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk RoadsFor anyone interested in the future of Islam, both in Britain and the Islamic world, this is an important book' The Times The gulf between Islam and the West is widening. A faith rich with strong values and traditions, observed by nearly two billion people is seen by the West as something to be feared rather than understood. Sensational headlines and hard-line policies spark enmity, while ignoring the feelings, narratives and perceptions that preoccupy Muslims today. The House of Islam seeks to provide entry to the minds and hearts of Muslims the world over. It introduces us to the kindness of Mohammed, the beauty of Islamic art and the permeation of the divine in public spaces; and the tension between mysticism and literalism that still threatens the religion. Ed Husain expertly and compassionately guides us through tTrade ReviewA powerful and impassioned polemic ... This is strong stuff. And it is a compelling thesis from a British Muslim writer whose relationship with Islam has evolved dramatically over time -- Justin Marozzi * Sunday Times *Not just timely but important too ... This should be compulsory reading -- Peter Frankopan, author of 'The Silk Roads'The House of Islam is a plea for the renewal of classical, traditional Islam against its extreme and politicised versions … For anyone interested in the future of Islam, both in Britain and the Islamic world, this is an important book -- David Goodhart * The Times *The House of Islam is a long awaited and desperately needed book from one of our foremost thinkers at the nexus of civil society and theology ... Incisive and thought-provoking -- Bruce Hoffman, author of 'Inside Terrorism'Husain's account is not sensationalist, tending more to understatement than to hyperbole ... A complete eye-opener -- Praise for 'The Islamist' * The Times *Captivating, and terrifyingly honest ... a wake-up call to monocultural Britain, it takes you into the mind of young fundamentalists, exposing places in which the old notion of being British is defunct -- Praise for 'The Islamist' * Observer *Persuasive and stimulating -- Praise for 'The Islamist', Martin AmisAll who glibly generalise about the no-man's-land between terrorism and multiculturalism should read this articulate and impassioned book -- Simon Jenkins * Sunday Times *

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Book Synopsis''Absorbing . . . an intelligent and clear-eyed account of much that goes on in our country'' Sunday TimesGetting to grips with Great Britain is harder than ever. We are a nation that chose Brexit, rejects immigration but is dependent on it, is getting older but less healthy, is more demanding of public services but less willing to pay for them, is tired of intervention abroad but wants to remain a global authority. We have an over-stretched, free health service (an idea from the 1940s that may not survive the 2020s), overcrowded prisons, a military without an evident purpose, an education system the envy of none of the Western world. How did we get here and where are we going?How Britain Really Works is a guide to Britain and its institutions (the economy, the military, schools, hospitals, the media, and more), which explains just how we got to wherever it is we are. It will not tell you what opinions to have, but will give you the inforTrade ReviewAbsorbing . . . an intelligent and clear-eyed account of much that goes on in our country * Sunday Times *Wry and readable . . . a smart execution of an idea that is more important than it sounds - in a world convulsed by polarising ideologies and white-hot feelings, there is a lot to be said for writing that is cool and fact-based * Guardian *Delightfully readable * Daily Mirror *Stig Abell is an urbane, and often jaunty guide to modern Britain, in the mould of Bill Bryson . . . he provides thoughtful explorations of each subject throughout * Irish Times *Vivid, funny, and full of interesting glimpses of the way Britain works, viewed from angles I hadn't seen before * Philip Pullman *If you fear Britain's going slightly Brexit bonkers, then this will explain why. An excellent, incisive and witty analysis of how this country works, or as so often . . . doesn't! * Piers Morgan *A fascinating piece of ultra recent history. How we got to where we are, and why. Confused about modern Britain? Read this book * Dan Snow *An engaging, entertaining and sometimes eyebrow-raising read * Jack Monroe *This book brilliantly unpicks our strange little island, and shows us where we find ourselves in the modern world * Dermot O'Leary *Simply, I have never read a better book about Britain. This is a proper and touching examination of the mad little island that I'm so fond of. Everyone should read it, whether they think they already know about our country, or not * Xand Van Tulleken *Entertaining, enlightening and often rather scary . . . * Adam Kay *

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Book SynopsisWith a sharp eye for the magnificently absurd, Rod Liddle sets light to modern-day Britain.One of Britain's funniest, most daring columnists. If he weren't so offensive you'd almost call him a national treasure' Mail on SundayI, and my generation, seem feckless and irresponsible, endlessly selfish, whining, avaricious, self-deluding, self-obsessed, spoiled and corrupt and ill.'What is it that has transformed the British who in living memory were admired for their unassuming, stiff-upper-lipped capacity for `muddling through'' into the feckless,obese, self-deluding, avaricious and self-obsessed whingers we have become? Savagely funny and relentlessly contrary, yet with a poignant sense of all that we have lost, Rod Liddle mercilessly exposes the absurdity, cant and humbuggery of the way we live now.Trade Review‘Liddle lured me in with his riotously entertaining take on everything from attitudes towards obesity to what he calls our "respec" culture’ Independent ‘A magnificent torrent of analysis and abuse – 90 per cent brilliant, 10 per cent bonkers … A flaming, bloodthirsty romp, scything through the clichés and lazy thinking of an effete liberal establishment’ Times Higher Education Supplement ‘Filled with his trademark dry and self-hating wit, I would recommend even Rod-sceptics read his book’ New Statesman

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Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times BestsellerTHE BOOK EVERY VOTER MUST READ' Mail on SundayMeticulous and highly readable Funny and devastating' Daily TelegraphThe most compelling in-depth study so far' GuardianThe unmissable exposé of Jeremy Corbyn from the UK's most prolific investigative biographer.Since his surprise election as leader of the Labour Party in 2015, Jeremy Corbyn has survived coup attempts and accusations of incompetence that would have felled most politicians, including grave charges of anti-Semitism, bullying and dividing his own party. Now, as the UK government rips itself apart over Brexit, he stands at the brink of power.Through rigorous research and interviews with those closest to Corbyn including his two ex-wives Tom Bower reveals the truths that Jeremy Corbyn has worked to conceal from public scrutiny, as well as tracking the inner workings of the leadership years, including his approach to policy, brand of socialism, and relationships with other MPs.The must-read for everyTrade Review ’The book every voter must read’ Mail on Sunday ‘Funny and devastating, it stands as an indictment of both the Labour Party and a political system that allows an individual such as Jeremy Corbyn to come within shouting distance of the levers of power in this country.’ Daily Telegraph ‘The most compelling in-depth study so far of a man whose head is unusually difficult to get inside.’ The Guardian ‘An unexpectedly funny account of the Labour leader’s life … the author reveals a side of Corby’s personality that is not at all well known or even acknowledged in today’s Labour Party: his love of the limelight. The book describes, in hilarious detail, Corbyn’s determination to be part of the story of the election of Britain’s first three black MPs … Entertaining and impressive research … Bower’s meticulous and highly readable account must be absorbed from start to finish. Funny and devastating, it stands as an indictment of both the Labour Party and a political system that allows an individual such as Jeremy Corbyn to come within shouting distance of the levers of power.’ Daily Telegraph ‘One of the most depressing books I’ve ever read. It is a forensically detailed portrait of a man with no inner life, a monomaniac suffused with an overwhelming sense of his own righteousness … Probably the most shocking fact in this biography is that so many of his former intimates believe he has never read a book … Nobody who reads this book can be in any doubt that if he became prime minister, he would comfortably be the most indolent, least articulate and least intelligent holder of the office in history’ Dominic Sandbrook, The Times

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Book Synopsis________________________For decades, John Humphrys has been at the beating heart of the BBC''s news division.From the 9 O''Clock News desk to his marathon 32-year stint on the Today Programme, Humphrys has had a remarkable career as a journalist, steering the coverage of stories and issues that have defined multiple generations of British life. If the country has a pulse, John Humphrys is the man whose finger is firmly on it.In Devil''s Advocate, Humphrys draws on his immense experience to detail the huge, sweeping changes that have overtaken Britain during his career. From the thorny geopolitical questions of the UK''s relationship with Europe and America to the subtler ways our national social and moral values have changed, Humphrys sees a deep unease at the heart of a divided union, and identifies what truly links us all: consumer populism.As our lives and media become increasingly commercialised, the fabric of daily life begins toTrade ReviewOne of the most brilliant journalists in the country * Daily Mail *Peerless reporting ... sharp and instructive ... wonderfully acidic about people when he thinks they deserve it * Observer *A national institution * Sunday Times *Playing devil's advocate is the function he performs better than anyone else anywhere ... an excellent and amusing read * New Statesman *Written from the battlefield ... Humphrys has written an important book * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisAcute, questioning, humane and passionately concerned for justice, Helena Kennedy is one of the most powerful voices in legal circles in Britain today. Here she roundly challenges the record of modern governments over the fundamental values of equality, fairness and respect for human dignity. She argues that in the last twenty years we have seen a steady erosion of civil liberties, culminating today in extraordinary legislation, which undermines long established freedoms. Are these moves a crude political response to demands for law and order? Or is the relationship between citizens and the state being covertly reframed and redefined?Trade ReviewRemarkable - a passionate, cogent and eloquent defence of the idea of law as the framework for a just society... Vitally important * Financial Times *Highly readable... Startlingly topical * Sunday Telegraph *Powerful and prescient * Daily Telegraph *This is a good book, well-written, pacey and to the point * Sunday Times *Admirable... Without Helena Kennedy's passionate defence of the rule of law we might be completely in the hands of an uncaring government * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisOf all the great novelists writing today, none shows the same gift as Martin Amis for writing non-fiction – his essays, literary criticism and journalism are justly acclaimed.Trade ReviewThe Rub of Time is Amis at his considered best, witty, erudite and unafraid… He is sweetly sentimental when it comes to the British royal family (why?), funny about tennis, always brilliant about the body, scorching in his refusal of death, its sorrows and humiliations… He is a great believer in semantic rigour; every sentence snaps with an accuracy that is fresh and fierce… This collection is full of treasures. -- Anne Enright * Guardian *First-class… Amis reveres Vladimir Nabokov, and wonderfully evokes the author’s “miraculously fertile instability”, and the “dazed hymns to the bliss of existence”… Amis’s wide reading is prompted by pure pleasure and in this regard he is proudly Kingsley’s son… Amis’s literary criticism is richly enjoyable, his intellectual gifts are formidable and he is worthy of the praise he shovels upon Nabokov in his prime… His non-fiction is bayonet sharp… The Rub of Time is impressive. The inner world of the old devil on display is one to be treasured. -- Roger Lewis * The Times *The reportage is some of the best stuff here. For someone who often doesn’t much seem to care for journalists, Amis is a very good journalist indeed. If anyone has written a better, more penetrating, more open-minded interview with John Travolta, for example, I’d like to see it… When he puts his nose to a text, close up, there are few readers like him… And his is superbly good at capturing the nub of what’s so interesting in DeLillo, deftly sectioning the phases of JG Ballard’s career, tracing the weirdly wonky process of Philip Roth finding his voice or summing up a mood in a glancing phrase. -- Sam Leith * Observer *Erudite, eclectic and entertaining, Amis’s essays offer serious assessments of Vladimir Nabokov and Saul Bellow alongside a tour of the porn industry, an exemplary prolife of John Travolta and a hilarious analysis of the hazards of being christened "Tim". -- Claire Lowdon * Sunday Times, Book of the Year *He is our sure-footed mountain guide, leading us gleefully from one delight to the next in these quotation-rich encomiums. “Panegyric is rightly regarded as the dullest of all literary forms,” he writes in Nabakov’s Natural Selection, a scintillating panegyric that absolutely achieves its stated aim… The literary essays will leave you educated, enlightened, entertained… I defy anyone not called Tim to get to the end of the Henman-inspired essay, The Tims, without a helpless guffaw… Martin Amis is a great writer and a great reader. -- Claire Lowdon * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisMachiavelli’s highly influential treatise on political power 'It is far safer to be feared than loved...' The Prince shocked Europe on publication with its advocacy of ruthless tactics for gaining absolute power and its abandonment of conventional morality.Trade ReviewIf one were to assign a single edition of Machiavelli's works, this most certainly would be it -- John. P. McCormick, Professor of Political Science, University of ChicagoEveryone should have a copy of Machiavelli's The Prince, whose original purpose may have been to counsel Renaissance rulers in the art of statecraft but is still applicable to and, indeed, acted on by modern politicians and power-brokers * Guardian *A 16th Century handbook of wily political thinking that tells you how to get the upper hand in every conceivable situation * Mail on Sunday *How amazing, that anyone's ideas should be controversial after five centuries. Machiavelli expressed a certain attitude to power - it's a good thing, and the problem is how to get and keep it - so well that he has never become out dated * Guardian *One of most influential books ever * Mirror *

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Book SynopsisShereen El Feki is a writer, broadcaster, and academic who started her professional life in medical science before going on to become an award-winning journalist with The Economist and a presenter with Al Jazeera English. She is former vice-chair of the UN's Global Commission on HIV and the Law, as well as a TED Global Fellow. Shereen writes for a number of publications, among them the Huffington Post. With roots in Egypt and Wales, Shereen grew up in Canada; she now divides her time between London and Cairo.www.sexandthecitadel.comTrade ReviewImportant, brave and necessary * Naomi Wolf *Remarkable... Sex and the Citadel should be celebrated - not least for freeing voices silenced by a mixture of taboo and political repression. It provides crucial oxygen for discussions that will need more airing in the long, conflicted years ahead -- Rachel Halliburton * Independent on Sunday *Compelling, revelatory... No one can be sure where the Arab awakening will lead now -- towards fiercer sexual controls or a slight relaxing of them. The one thing El Feki is sure of is that there will be no seismic shifts. This will be evolution, not revolution -- Jenni Russell * Sunday Times (Culture) *Fascinating -- Daisy Goodwin * Mail on Sunday *Frequently eye-popping… The stories emphasise just how bewildering the issue of sex has become across the Middle East -- Nicholas Blincoe * Daily Telegraph *

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