Politics and government Books

Book Synopsis'one of the year’s most exciting releases' - The Herald China is building the world’s first digital totalitarian state, a system of hitherto unimaginable social and political control. Internet freedom has been eliminated and ubiquitous surveillance cameras employ the latest facial recognition technology. Through flagrant cyber espionage, it has plundered Western technology on a massive scale, bullied Western tech companies and academics (though many have been willing accomplices) and intimidated critics worldwide. In doing so, it has become a model for aspiring dictators everywhere. Ian Williams examines the extraordinary rise of the Chinese surveillance state, showing how it has been driven by the enigmatic Xi Jinping, now effectively president for life, and how it impacts the daily lives of Chinese citizens, particularly dissidents and those from ethnic minorities. Supporting interviews and first-hand accounts from those whose lives have been turned upside down or worse highlight the chilling and ruthless efficiency with which the government can now act. The book also considers the wider implications for the rest of the world. How to deal with an increasingly strident, aggressive Beijing is one of the biggest challenges facing the West in what has become a technological Cold War.Trade Review'Ian Williams has written a superb and deeply informed study on containing a technological totalitarian state. It is a chilling reminder to all who believe in the rule of law and an open society of China's present threats to our way of life' -- Chris Patten (Lord Patten of Barnes), last governor of Hong Kong and current Chancellor of Oxford University'Forget Soviet Russia, Xi’s China now echoes 1930s Germany' * Sunday Times *'Fascinating… a really interesting book. China has no private companies… you are always dealing with the Chinese Communist State whenever you deal with them. An unarguable fact' -- Stig Abell * Times Radio *'Williams knows his stuff, as an award-winning foreign correspondent reporting for a quarter of a century from Asia with a special interest in China. This is an accessible, valuable, troubling, timely book' -- Ian Martin * Reaction Life *'one of the year's most exciting releases' * The Herald *'I have been reading a superb new book by the journalist Ian Williams called Every Breath You Take: China's New Tyranny. The title comes from the 1982 hit song by the band known as The Police, written by its frontman Sting, who later described it as "a nasty little song. Rather evil. It's about jealousy and surveillance and ownership." It refers to "every move you make … I’ll be watching you." A stalker, not a lover; an oppressor, not a partner. In every sense, the CCP regime. Yet not only watching you. Now, in Hong Kong, lecturing you every day' -- Benedict Rogers * HK Apple Daily *'A devastating exposé' -- Dominic Sandbrook * Daily Mail *'A persuasive, alarming wake-up call' -- Brian Maye * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisThis is the true story of Winston Churchill and Scotland.In the popular imagination, Winston Churchill is the bulldog of 1940 uncompromising and Conservative. But in 1922 he was the reforming, progressive Liberal MP for Dundee who, after five successive election wins and a majority of 15,000, could confidently claim to have a seat for life.But one man had other ideas. This is the story of how god-fearing teetotaller Edwin Scrymgeour fought and won an election against Britain's most famous politician. Andrew Liddle vividly brings to life an extraordinary rivalry as it unfolded over fifteen years, and also explores for the first time Churchill's controversial Scottish legacy, including his attitude to devolution.''Rich and well-written . . . a vital insight'' The Scotsman ''A fascinating story'' Times Radio ''A brilliant book'' Andrew Adonis

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Book SynopsisThis is a book about fear. Fear of a virus. Fear of death. Fear of losing our jobs, our democracy, our human connections, our health and our minds. It’s also about how the government weaponised our fear against us – supposedly in our best interests – until we were the most frightened country in Europe. But why did the government deliberately frighten us, and how has this affected us as individuals and as a country? Who is involved in the decision-making that affects our lives? How are behavioural science and nudge theory being used to subliminally manipulate us? How does the media leverage fear? What are the real risks to our wellbeing? Ahead of any official inquiry into the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, Laura Dodsworth explores all these questions and more, in a nuanced and thought-provoking discussion of an extraordinary year in British life and politics. With stories from members of the general public who were impacted by fear, anxiety and isolation, and revealing interviews with psychologists, politicians, scientists, lawyers, Whitehall advisers and journalists, A State of Fear calls for a more hopeful, transparent and effective democracy.Trade Review“So dark and compelling, and yet woven throughout with the determination - the heartfelt need - to get beyond these dreadful days. When governments sow fear they must reap a bitter crop. From the beginning of lockdown I have been worried to death about the certain and unavoidable consequences of making and keeping an entire population frightened. Already we see that too many people regard their fellow citizens - even family and friends - as the enemy, petri dishes swimming with contagion. As a population and a society we are atomised as never before. I can scarcely imagine how the damage done might be undone. Most of all I fear what all of this has done - and will continue to do - to compromise the futures of our children. All of these concerns and many more besides are given a desperately needed airing between the pages of this book. This is a timely piece of work, shot through with the voices of frightened people. Those voices must be heard and properly listened to. Altogether this is a fascinating consideration of how fear has been used again and again throughout history and in one civilisation after another, so that governments and others in authority might get their own way. A State of Fear is an affecting and troubling read.” – Neil Oliver, Twitter@thecoastguy 73K followers -- Neil Oliver

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Book SynopsisIn this follow-up to their landmark first book, Deric Henderson and Ivan Little have gathered new stories from seventy journalists who have worked in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. These contributors write powerfully about the victims they have never forgotten, the events that have never left them, and the lasting impact of working through those terrible years. Reporting the Troubles 2, which includes contributions from a new generation of journalists, who came up in the years leading to the Good Friday Agreement, provides a compelling narrative of the last fifty years, and covers many of the key events in Northern Ireland’s troubled history, from Bloody Sunday in 1972 to the inquest into the Ballymurphy Massacre in 2021. Grounded in the passionate belief that good journalism and good journalists make a difference, Reporting the Troubles 2 is a profoundly moving act of remembrance and testimony. 'I am sometimes asked to identify the most important story that I dealt with while I was editor of the Irish Times … I answer that the most important story was not published in a single day but over years. And it was not put together by any one journalist but by a whole cohort of reporters, photographers, feature writers and editors … For the most part they just got by-lines and the satisfaction of knowing that what they were doing was important, that the story had to be told, day by day, hour by hour. And that telling it could make a difference. It is difficult to imagine that there could ever have been a peace process without that.’ CONOR BRADY, former editor, Irish Times Contributions from - Gordon Adair, Don Anderson, Ciaran Barnes, Colin Bateman, Jilly Beattie, Charlie Bird, David Blevins, Declan Bogue, Conor Brady, Stephen Breen, Eugene Campbell, Peter Cardwell, Mark Carruthers, Niall Carson, Paddy Clancy, Simon Cole, Liam Collins, Mark Davey, Donna Deeney, Michael Denieffe, Patricia Devlin, Michael Donnelly, Roisín Duffy, Gavin Esler, Michael Fisher, Jim Flanagan, Mike Gaston, Gareth Gordon, Jim Gracey, Paul Harris, Deric Henderson, Mark Hennessy, Gary Honeyford, Paul Johnson, Fergal Keane, Vincent Kearney, Gerry Kelly, Will Leitch, Ivan Little, Robin Livingstone, David Lynas, Darragh MacIntyre, Michael Macmillan, Kevin Magee, Stanley Matchett, Don McAleer, Roisin McAuley, Barry McCaffrey, Jonny McCambridge, Freya McClements, Sir Trevor McDonald, Lindy McDowell, Mark McFadden, Hugh McGrattan, Seamus McKee, Fearghal McKinney, Allison Morris, Rod Nawn, Malachi O’Doherty, Maggie O’Kane, Mike Parry, Lance Price, Colin Randall, Paul Reynolds, Maggie Taggart, Eric Villiers, John Ware, Nicholas Watt, Johnny Watterson, David Young.

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Book SynopsisIt was a defining moment, the first time ‘Jihadi John’ appeared. Suddenly Islamic State had a face and the whole world knew the extent of their savagery. Weeks later, when his identity was revealed, Robert Verkaik was shocked to realise that this was a man he’d interviewed years earlier. Back in 2010, Mohammed Emwazi was a twenty-one-year-old IT graduate who claimed the security services were ruining his life. They had repeatedly approached him, his family and his fiancée. Had they been tracking an already dangerous extremist or did they push him over the edge? In the aftermath of the US air strike that killed Emwazi in November 2015, Verkaik’s investigation leads him to deeply troubling questions. What led Emwazi to come to him for help in the first place? And why do hundreds of Britons want to join Islamic State? In an investigation both frightening and urgent, Verkaik goes beyond the making of one terrorist to examine the radicalisation of our youth and to ask what we can do to stop it happening in future.Trade Review'The chief strength of this book lies in its exploration of the radical subculture in parts of west London…The web of influences is complex but Verkaik skilfully unpicks it, while losing none of the atmosphere that makes his book so readable and engaging'. * New Statesman *'Verkaik gives a fascinating if frightening picture of the jihadists in our mist'. * Mail on Sunday *‘No detail is too small in Verkaik's quest to work out how a "misfit schoolboy" turned into a "psychopathic mass murderer".’ * Independent *‘An exemplary account… The book’s most important contribution is to highlight the difficulties faced by the intelligence services… a first-class primer on Muslim extremism in Britain.’ * Max Hastings, Sunday Times *‘An outstanding pulling together of the fractured career of one of the most notorious terrorist psychopathic killers of this or any other age. The book is exceptional because its author makes no false claims for what he doesn’t know and never confuses explanation with explaining away... [an] excellent and thought-provoking book.’ * Evening Standard *‘A riveting and compelling portrait of Mohammed Emwazi on his journey to the heart of darkness.’ -- Andrew Hosken, author of Empire of Fear: Inside the Islamic State‘Detailed and absorbing... Drawing on a wealth of primary conversations with security officials and targets alike, Verkaik explores the difficult balance that has to be struck between freedom and liberty and those who find themselves in its crosshairs.’ -- Raffaello Pantucci, author of ‘We Love Death as You Love Life’: Britain's Suburban Mujahedeen‘This book is more than just the story of Mohammed Emwazi. Verkaik delves into the broader issues of marginality and the fluid identity of young people such as Emwazi to provide an enthralling account of the rootlessness of many second-generation European immigrants.’ * Library Journal *

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Book SynopsisIdeas in Profile: Small Introductions to Big Topics In the first title of an exciting new series one of the world's leading political scientists asks the big questions about politics: what is it, why we do we need it and where, in these turbulent times, is it heading? From the gap between rich and poor to the impact of social media, via Machiavelli, Hobbes and Weber, Runciman's comprehensive short introduction is invaluable to those studying politics or those who want to know how life in Denmark became more comfortable than in Syria. The Ideas in Profile series is what introductions can and should be. Concise, clear, relevant, entertaining, original and global in scope, Politics makes essential reading for anyone, from students to the general reader.

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Book SynopsisESCAPE FROM EARTH is the untold story of the engineers, dreamers and rebels who started the American space programme. In particular, it is the story of Frank Malina, founder of what became Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the scientist who cracked the, as he called it, problem of escape from the Earth by rocket. It's a wild ride. Jack Parsons, Malina's chemistry-expert research partner, was a bed-hopping occultist with delusions of grandeur. We get all the horrible details: drug parties and sex magic, cameos by Aleister Crowley and L Ron Hubbard, and an ill-fated attempt to start a mail-order religion. Armed with hitherto unpublished letters, journals, and documents from the Malina family archives, Fraser MacDonald reveals what we didn't know. Jack Parsons betrayed Frank Malina to the FBI, cooperating fully in their investigation of Malina for un-American activities. The Jet Propulsion Lab's second director secretly denounced Frank as a Communist. Frank's research group had close ties to the spy network of the infamous Rosenbergs - the only Americans executed during the Red Scare. This is a story of soaring ideals entangled in the most human of complications: infidelity and divorce, betrayal and treason.Trade ReviewExcellent ... has raised a crucially influential American pioneer rocketeer from obscurity to the recognition he deserves...MacDonald's access to Malina's family archives and freedom of information FBI files adds intimate details to this scholarly and colourful work * Spectator *Riveting ... MacDonald has vastly enriched the overarching story - and in ways transformed it * Times Literary Supplement *Meticulously researched yet immensely readable ... I have never before seen anyone express with such clarity the contradiction at the heart of the space age ... It is refreshing to read an account of these events that is so nuanced, seamlessly melding the personal and the scientific. This expert history offers insights into the early space age with dazzlingly beautiful writing and a keen eye for irony * Times Higher Education *Absorbing and stimulating ... a superb book which sheds new light on the conflicts of the mid-20th century * Scotsman *A compelling saga of secrecy, activism, betrayal ... superb, illuminating * Herald *A tangled, fascinating story that is a mixture of science, politics and soap opera ... an extraordinary, important yet neglected slice of space history * Literary Review *Fascinating ... a superb book * Yorkshire Post *Excellent ... MacDonald tells this whole grubby story superbly * Strong Words *Frank Malina, one of the most talented pioneers of American rocket science, flirted with communism and pacifism, and then gave it all up-rocketry included-to become a painter. History has in consequence all but erased his memory-except that now, thanks to Fraser MacDonald's fascination with his story and a dogged determination to write this riveting and important book, his legacy has been revived, and will surely long endure. * Simon Winchester, New York Times bestselling author of Exactly: How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World *Exquisitely researched, thoughtfully written, Escape from Earth is a fascinating exploration of an endlessly intriguing and remarkable subject. Fraser MacDonald has not only brought to life Frank Malina, he has captured perfectly the political and scientific contradictions of the dawn of the Space Age. * Henry Hemming, author of The Ingenious Mr Pyke and Agents of Influence *A fascinating history of America's ascent into space that literally rewrites our understanding of the rocket age; a story that mixes sex, Nazis, Communists, the FBI, and rockets and along the way reminds us how complicated and untidy even celebrated history can be. Escape from Earth is an instant addition to the rocketry canon, right there with Operation Paperclip and Hidden Figures. * Garrett Graff, bestselling author of Raven Rock *Escape from Earth is a fascinating story about the arms race, the space race and the cold war. Fraser MacDonald has restored to their rightful place in history a cast of characters airbrushed out of the story because of their political convictions. This book has the rare quality of being both a well-told tale and throughly researched. * McKenzie Wark, author of The Beach Beneath the Street *

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Book SynopsisAward-winning journalist and bestselling author Luke Harding's haunting, brilliant account of the insidious methods used against him by a resurgent Kremlin which led to him becoming the first western reporter to be deported from Russia since the days of the Cold War. FEATURING A NEW PREFACE FROM THE AUTHOR'A courageous and explosive exposé.'ORLANDO FIGES'Luke Harding is one of the best reporters in the world.'ROBERT SAVIANO'An essential read.'NEW STATESMANIn 2007, Luke Harding arrived in Moscow to take up a new job as a correspondent for the British newspaper the Guardian. Within months, mysterious agents from Russia's Federal Security Service - the successor to the KGB - had broken into his flat. He found himself tailed by men in cheap leather jackets, bugged, and even summoned to Lefortovo, the KGB's notorious prison.The break-in was the beginning of an extraordinary psychological war against the journalist and his family. Vladimir Putin's spies used tactics developed by the KGB and perfected in the 1970s by the Stasi, East Germany's sinister secret police. This clandestine campaign burst into the open in 2011 when the Kremlin expelled Harding from Moscow.Luke Harding's Mafia State gives a unique, personal and compelling portrait of today's Russia, two decades after the end of communism, that reads like a spy thriller.

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Book SynopsisWe're living through The Breakdown. A time of enormous political upheaval and polarised opinion. Many of us feel ill-equipped to understand and debate the issues currently rocking our world. At last, here is a sane voice of reason that cuts through the noise. : Brexit: a chance to take back control or taking us to the brink of disaster? : Immigration: a strain on our country or a crucial part of our economy? : Austerity: essential reduction of national debt or devastating cuts to public spending? : Tax cuts: control over your money or a threat to the welfare system? : Privatisation: Crucial efficiency-boosting competition or the ruthless destruction of our public services? : Ban on plastics: saving the planet or excessive government interference? : The Breakdown will give you all the tools to work out what's happening and why - and then empower you to do something about it.

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Book Synopsis'…as the Labour candidate I prepared for every possible question on the local radio Election Phone-In. What I had not prepared for was my mum ringing up to say that she agreed with John O’Farrell. On EVERYTHING.'Where Did We Go Right? is the personal story of one political activist helping Labour progress from its 1997 landslide to the unassailable position it enjoys today. Along the way, he stood for Parliament against Theresa May but failed to step into her shoes; he was dropped from Tony and Cherie’s Christmas card list after he revealed he always sent their card on to a friend from the SWP; and he campaigned for a new non-selective inner-city state school, then realised this meant he had to send his kids to a non-selective inner-city state school. The long-awaited sequel to the best-selling Things Can Only Get Better is for everyone who could use a good laugh after Brexit, Boris and Trump. A roller-coaster ride through the last two decades via the very best political jokes (excluding the ones that keep getting elected).Trade ReviewHilarious, insightful and has that rare quality of making politics fun. A brilliant book everyone should read, whoever you vote for. -- Owen Jones, author of The EstablishmentEven Conservatives will like this -- Roland White * The Sunday Times *Reading this book is like reliving the last twenty years as a Labour supporter. John O’Farrell has, in his own unique and hilarious way, captured the highs and lows, pride and embarrassment, joy and frustration of being Labour. -- Sadiq Khan, Mayor of LondonO’Farrell hasn’t lost his touch. There are laughs as well as large doses of common sense. -- Chris Mullin * Guardian *John O'Farrell couldn't be unfunny if he tried but this book is even better than his famous take on Labour's 18 years in opposition. Hilarious and insightful in equal measure this is vintage stuff from Maidenhead's finest political brain. -- Alan Johnson

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Book SynopsisFrom the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Black Flags, the harrowing true story of the mission to find and destroy Syria's chemical weapons and defeat ISIS - only to lose control of both.'Presents [the story] sharply and compellingly' Washington Post'Excellent' IndependentIn August 2012, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad was clinging to power in a vicious civil war. Concerned that Assad might resort to chemical weapons, the international community warned that any such use would cross "a red line", warranting a military response. When a year later Assad bombed the Damascus suburb of Ghouta with sarin gas, killing hundreds, global leaders were torn between living up to their word and becoming mired in another unpopular Middle Eastern war. So when Russia offered to store Syria's chemical weapons, the world leaped at the solution.So begins a race to find, remove, and destroy 1,300 tons of chemical weapons in the middle of Syria's civil war. Told in harrowing detail, the initial effort is a tactical triumph for the West, but soon Russia's long game becomes clear: it has UN cover to assist Assad's regime. Meanwhile, the territory gains of ISIS further destabilise the country, and the terrorist organisation seeks to secure Syria's chemical arsenals for itself, with horrifying consequences.Red Line is a classic Joby Warrick true-life thriller: a character-driven narrative with a cast of heroes and villains, including weapons hunters, politicians, commandos, diplomats, and spies. Through original reporting and eyewitness accounts from direct participants, Joby Warrick reveals how a well-intentioned effort to save Syrian lives became swept up in a calamitous chain of events that would spawn a terrorist movement, unleash torrents of refugees, frustrate two U.S. presidents and empower the Western alliance's most dangerous foes.Trade ReviewExcellent. * The Independent *Highly readable and well-sourced - a real-life thriller. Engrossing. -- Ian Black * Observer *Presents [the story] sharply and compellingly. * Washington Post *Shines a light on just how extraordinary the international operation to rid Syria of 1,300 tonnes of some of the most dangerous materials on the planet was. Powerful. * The New Arab *'Combines the novelist's gift for storytelling with the journalist's gift for hard research...essential and compelling reading for anyone seeking to understand the unimaginable tragedy of the Syrian civil war' * The Tablet *

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Book Synopsis'Compelling' Ian McEwan 'Engrossing' Alan Johnson 'Essential' Robert Peston *THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*Politics has changed. For decades Britain was divided between Left and Right but united in its belief in a two-party state. Now, with nationalism resurgent and mainstream parties in turmoil, stark new divisions define the country and the centre ground is deserted.Nick Clegg witnessed this change from the inside. Here he offers a frank account of his experiences and puts the case for a new politics based on reason and compromise.He writes candidly about the tense stand-offs within government and the decision to enter coalition with the Conservatives in the first place. He also lifts the lid on the arcane worlds of Westminster and Brussels, the vested interests that suffocate reform, as well as the achievements his party made despite them. Whatever your political persuasion, if you wish to understand politics in Britain today you cannot afford to ignore this book.Trade ReviewA compelling account from the inside of the strange, sad death of liberal Britain. This is a passionate plea for the centre ground, which has never seemed so remote (or precious) in our current political dispensation -- Ian McEwanThis engrossing account is written with a warmth and generosity that can’t have been easy to sustain given the trials and tribulations he recounts so entertainingly -- Alan JohnsonEssential reading for anyone fearful of the rise of populist extremism or who thinks coalitions are the future of British politics -- Robert PestonThis is an important book: a revealing analysis of British politics today and why it urgently needs reform -- Shirley WilliamsPeople of all political persuasions owe Nick Clegg a debt that I have no doubt history will acknowledge -- John Major

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Book SynopsisA dazzlingly original analysis of how emotions shape the times we are living in by one of Britain’s most exciting thinkers‘A masterpiece’ New York Times‘Insightful and well-written’ Yuval Noah Harari, author of SapiensHow have feelings come to shape the world around us? Why has politics become so fractious and warlike? What might the future hold?In this bold and compelling exploration of our new political reality, William Davies reveals how feelings have come to reshape our world. Drawing on history, philosophy, psychology and economics, Nervous States is an essential guide to the turbulent times we are living through.Trade Review[An] interdisciplinary masterpiece. -- Mark Green * New York Times *If you read one book about contemporary politics this year, make it this one. William Davies is as acute and accurate on the shifts we are enduring as on the deep roots behind contemporary thinking (or not thinking, I should add). -- Stuart Kelly * Scotland on Sunday *The roots of our current anxieties are traced in [Nervous States,] an absorbing book fizzing with ideas… Davies is a wonderfully alert and nimble guide and his absorbing and edgy book will help us feel our way to a better future. -- Suzanne Moore * Observer *Wide-ranging yet brilliantly astute… Davies is a wild and surprising thinker who also happens to be an elegant writer — a wonderful and eminently readable combination. Nervous States covers 400 years of intellectual history, technological innovation and economic development, seamlessly weaving in such disparate intellects as Carl von Clausewitz, Friedrich von Hayek and Hannah Arendt. -- Jennifer Szalai * New York Times *We should all read William Davies’s Nervous States, a concise, penetrating exploration of the role played by negative emotions in our recent politics and culture -- Johanna Thomas-Corr * Evening Standard, **Books of the Year** *

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Book SynopsisA gripping and shocking insight into Russia's most influential oligarchs, including Roman Abramovich and Boris Berezovsky, from New York Times bestselling author of The Accidental Billionaires.To understand the state of Russia today, one must understand the oligarchs who have shaped it. Once Upon a Time in Russia is the true and untold story of the larger-than-life oligarchs who reaped the riches of privatisation after the fall of the Soviet regime: "Godfather of the Kremlin" Boris Berezovsky, a mathematician whose first entrepreneurial venture was running an automobile reselling business, and Roman Abramovich, his dashing young protégé who built a multi-billion-dollar empire of oil and aluminium. Locked in a complex, uniquely Russian partnership, the two battled their way through the "Wild East" of Russia, with Berezovsky acting as the younger man's krysha - his roof, his protector.Written with the heart-stopping pace of a thriller, this true story of amassing obscene wealth and power depicts a world seldom seen up close. Under Berezovsky's krysha, Abramovich built one of Russia's largest oil companies from the ground up in exchange for cash deliveries - including 491 million dollars in just one year. But their relationship frayed when Berezovsky attacked President Vladimir Putin in the media. As Berezovsky fled to the UK, Abramovich continued to prosper.Dead bodies trailed Berezovsky's footsteps, and threats followed him to London, where an associate of his died painfully and famously of Polonium poisoning. Then, Berezovsky himself was later dead, officially declared a suicide.Exclusively sourced, capturing a momentous period in recent world history, Once Upon a Time in Russia is at once personal and political, offering an unprecedented look into the wealth, corruption, and power behind what Graydon Carter dubbed 'the story of our age'.Trade ReviewAssassination plots, intimidation tactics, political manoeuvring and money in unfeasibly large quantities – this is the stuff of Ben Mezrich’s Once Upon a Time in Russia, a nonfiction journey into the rise (and, in some cases, fall) of the oligarchs . . . one of our favourites. * GQ *[A] fascinating and often chilling read. * The Sport *

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Book SynopsisWelcome to the Post-Truth era— a time in which the art of the lie is shaking the very foundations of democracy and the world as we know it. The Brexit vote; Donald Trump’s victory; the rejection of climate change science; the vilification of immigrants; all have been based on the power to evoke feelings and not facts. So what does it all mean and how can we champion truth in in a time of lies and ‘alternative facts’?In this eye-opening and timely book, Post-Truth is distinguished from a long tradition of political lies, exaggeration and spin. What is new is not the mendacity of politicians but the public’s response to it and the ability of new technologies and social media to manipulate, polarise and entrench opinion. Where trust has evaporated, conspiracy theories thrive, the authority of the media wilt and emotions matter more than facts . Now, one of the UK’s most respected political journalists, Matthew d’Ancona investigates how we got here, why quiet resignation is not an option and how we can and must fight back.Trade ReviewD’Ancona’s punchy polemic asks questions that are urgently topical and undeniably important. -- John Gray * Guardian *To anyone who is invigorated by urgent writing, Matthew d’Ancona’s work is as startling as a cold shower. -- Nick Cohen * Observer *Elegantly written and erudite, it's also a rousing rallying cry. -- Jonathan FreedlandIt's officially BRILLIANT. And badly needed. -- Emily Maitlis

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Book Synopsis‘If the face that Brexit Britain presents to the world today had been the face we had presented when going for the Games… no chance. In less than a decade it feels like we have taken that Olympic spirit, the mood of London 2012, and created a Britain which represents the very opposite of all it represented, and felt like, at the time.’ – Introduction, Alastair Campbell Diaries, Volume 8 It’s 2010 and Britain stands at a crossroads. After thirteen years in power, Labour find themselves out in the cold as David Cameron takes office – with a little help from the Liberal Democrats. As the country begins its journey into austerity and, eventually, to Brexit, Alastair Campbell must grapple with his own future. The Blair–Brown years are over, with the stage set for a bitter leadership contest that will test loyalties and friendships to the limit. There are battles closer to home, too, with Campbell still torn between domestic and political life while his own and his family’s mental health come under increasing strain. From the controversial Rose Garden speech, through the sunny optimism of the Olympics, to Cameron’s cavalier attitude to not one but two referendums, and culminating in the critical 2015 election, Volume 8 of Campbell’s acclaimed diaries is a must-read for anyone wondering how we got to where we are today – and how things might have been different.

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Book SynopsisAcclaimed as one of the sharpest political intellects of his generation, David Laws saw his ministerial career nosedive before it had begun when, after only seventeen days as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, he was forced to resign when unintended breaches of parliamentary expenses rules came to light. You can't keep a good man down, however, and he returned to government, where he was also responsible for the implementation of the coalition agreement and planning the Lib Dems' strategy in the run-up to the 2015 election. David began writing a diary in March 2012 and continued writing it throughout his ministerial career and up to the 2015 election, which devastated the Liberal Democrats in Parliament.Frank, acerbic, sometimes shocking and often funny, Coalition Diaries chronicles the historic Liberal Democrat-Conservative coalition government, offering extraordinary pen portraits of all the personalities involved, some of whom were cast aside at the election or put to the knife after Brexit, while others are active in today's government.

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Book SynopsisElections aren't just important - they are revealing. They tell us things about who we are and how we behave. Written by leading political experts, Sex, Lies and Politics reveals what really makes us tick. At once funny, revealing and shocking, it covers everything you need to know about the voters and their quirks, foibles and sexual secrets, including when they lie (often to themselves), how they are swayed by tribal loyalties (even when judging cats and celebrities), and why you should keep quiet about your Brexit vote when moving house... Combining brand-new essays with fully updated pieces from the acclaimed Sex, Lies and the Ballot Box and More Sex, Lies and the Ballot Box, this witty and thought-provoking collection is a guaranteed conversation starter. If you want to discover which party's voters have the wildest private lives, read on.Trade Review"An entertaining and superbly well-informed guide to the often mysterious workings behind electoral outcomes." - Daily Mail "Stuffed with eye-opening gems" - The Daily Telegraph

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Book SynopsisPolarising, combative, unconventional: few embody the fraught nature of British politics today quite like John Bercow. A man who is revered by his one-time opponents and condemned by his former bedfellows, he has traversed the deep chasm between the Conservative right and the liberal left during a career that has never been short of controversy. Thanks to his eventful decade as Speaker of the House of Commons, he is seen by some as a great moderniser; by others, a constitutional arsonist. In this revealing biography, political editor Sebastian Whale tracks Bercow’s journey from his childhood suffering at the hands of bullies, to his membership of the far-right Monday Club, through to his contentious Speakership, taking in bitter confrontations in the Commons, challenges to convention and attempted coups along the way. With the UK’s exit from the EU secured and bullying allegations beginning to resurface, Bercow’s legacy is under fresh scrutiny. Based on exclusive interviews with those close to the heart of Parliament, including both allies and detractors, this is the unvarnished story of John Bercow, one of the most influential political figures of the Brexit age.

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Book SynopsisAged fifteen and armed with a credit card stolen from his father, Jonny Oates ran away from home and boarded a plane to Addis Ababa. His plan? To single-handedly save the Ethiopian people from the devastating 1985 famine. Discovering on arrival that the demand for the assistance of unskilled fifteen-year-old English boys was limited, he learned the hard lesson that you can't change the world just by pure force of will. A rare political memoir from a figure whose life before politics is every bit as gripping as their time in the corridors of power, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden charts Oates's darkest moments as an idealistic but troubled schoolboy alone in Ethiopia, struggling with his sexuality and mental health; it traces his journey onwards - to Zimbabwe, where, aged eighteen, he becomes deputy headteacher of a rural secondary school; to South Africa in the final year of Nelson Mandela's presidency, where he works in the first post-apartheid parliament as the country seeks to shape a future from its bitterly divided past; and, ultimately, to the roller-coaster ride of Britain's first post-war coalition government, where, as Nick Clegg's chief of staff, he plays a key role in the struggle for his own country's future and learns important lessons about the difference between power and duty. Shot through with a captivating warmth and humour, this heart-stoppingly candid memoir reflects on the challenges of balancing idealism and pragmatism, reminding us that lasting change comes from working together rather than standing alone.Trade Review"Unusually for a political figure, Jonny Oates has written about love: how it tormented him and how it healed him. Few in political life are as candid about the underpinning of what drives them. A gripping tale of escape and rescue, this is the story of the making of a liberal soul." - Gary Gibbon, political editor, Channel 4 News "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden charts the unusual emotional and political journey of Jonny Oates. By turns tender, moving and funny, it is an unflinchingly candid story of teenage rebellion, of love and - above all - of heartfelt compassion. If anyone doubts that there is still a place in politics for exceptional, decent people, this is a book for you." - Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister 2010-15 "Oates takes you on an extraordinary journey from teenage rebellion, through the fight for African rights, to the top ranks of the British government. It's all the more extraordinary because the story is true - his is a life lesson that serendipity and courage can change things for good." - Laura Kuenssberg, BBC political editor

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Book SynopsisWHEN EMPIRES CRUMBLE, WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE LEFT IN THE RUINS? In Rule Britannia, Danny Dorling and Sally Tomlinson argue that the vote to leave the EU was the last gasp of the old empire working its way out of the British psyche. Fuelled by a misplaced nostalgia, the result was driven by a lack of knowledge of our imperial history, by a profound anxiety about Britain's status today, and by a deeply unrealistic vision of our future. At a time when close relationships with our near neighbours are more crucial than ever before, Britain has opted to surrender its remaining influence and squander international goodwill. And yet, there is hope. In this wide-ranging and thoughtful analysis, now fully updated to cover the fallout from Brexit and the impact of coronavirus, Dorling and Tomlinson argue that if Britain can reconcile itself to its new place on the world stage, a new identity can be born from the ashes. Rule Britannia is a powerful call to leave behind the jingoistic ignorance of the past and build a fairer Britain, eradicating the inequality that blights our society and embracing our true strengths.

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Book SynopsisHousing is increasingly unaffordable in many parts of the UK, with prices and rents rising much faster than earnings because, over many decades, far too few homes have been built. Since the 2008 financial crisis, the homes shortage has become more acute - sending housing affordability to the top of the political agenda. Combining analysis with reportage, Home Truths draws on extensive interviews with cabinet ministers, civil servants, planning officials, leading property executives and priced-out homebuyers from across the country. Informed by deep economic research and political access at the highest level, the book is a no-holds-barred critique of the UK's chronic housing shortage, concluding with eye-catching policy proposals of direct relevance to both Parliament and regional and national government.

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Book SynopsisA dozen years into austerity, statistical warning lights are flashing to suggest a return to types of deprivation we once imagined we had consigned to history. In the decade up to the pandemic, the official count of rough sleepers and recorded malnutrition in hospital patients both doubled, while recourse to food banks rocketed by an order of magnitude. And yet it has never been statistics but rather individual human stories - from the fictionalised accounts of Dickens to the faithful reporting of Orwell and Priestley - that have seared the reality of hard times into the public imagination. In Broke, Tom Clark assembles today's masters of social reportage to go deep into the communities so often ignored by politicians, introducing us to those at the hardest end of the poverty crisis. Contributions from Jem Bartholomew, Cal Flyn, Dani Garavelli, Frances Ryan, Samira Shackle, Daniel Trilling and Jennifer Williams, and a foreword by Kerry Hudson, unflinchingly reveal the contemporary experience of cold, hunger, homelessness, disease, debt, disability, punishing work and an immigration system that makes people destitute by design. With Joel Goodman's photography bringing the characters to life, and some of the writers having had first-hand experience of the issues raised, Broke blends powerful human stories with analysis of the policies that have led us to this point - and the reforms we urgently need. All royalties will be donated to Leeds Asylum Seekers' Support Network

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Book SynopsisWestminster and Whitehall are secret worlds, hidden to most. But working as a lobby journalist, former Labour Party staffer Andy McSmith has had exclusive access to our top politicians for decades. Here, he shares his personal encounters with the great and the good of the British political landscape, revealing what they are really like behind the scenes. With witty and perceptive flair, he describes encounters such as flying to Tokyo with Margaret Thatcher, the last Prime Minister who would walk fearlessly into a room full of journalists, unprotected by special advisers; dining with Sir Edward Heath, a man who knew how to hold a grudge, in his home in Salisbury; observing Gordon Brown and Tony Blair as new MPs, sharing a cramped office in Parliament and collaborating like brothers; and working with Boris Johnson back when he had an ambition to be something more than just a journalist. Filled with vivid portraits of those at the heart of British politics over the past forty years, Strange People I Have Known is a memoir of a life well lived and an insider's account of the inner workings of government.

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Book SynopsisA fully updated new edition of the classic biographyof Tony Benn, revised to reflect on Benn's legacy and contemporary relevancesince his death in 2014.

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Book SynopsisDrawing on extensive polling and analysis this is a pitiless account of how the Conservative Party came to be seen by those who elected it to office.

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Book SynopsisAfter darkness, there is always lightIn a time of increasing uncertainty, Rethink offers a guide to a much-needed global 'reset moment', with leading international figures giving us glimpses of a better future after the pandemic. Each contribution explores a different aspect of public and private life that can be re-examined - from Pope Francis on poverty and the Dalai Lama on the role of ancient wisdom to Brenda Hale on the courts and Tara Westover on the education divide; from Elif Shafak on uncertainty and Steven Pinker on Human Nature to Xine Yao on masks and Jarvis Cocker on environmental revolution. Collectively, they offer a roadmap for positive change after a year of unprecedented hardship.Based on the hit BBC podcast, and with introductions by presenter and journalist Amol Rajan, Rethink gives us the opportunity to consider what a better world might look like and reaffirms that after darkness there is always light.RETHINK List of contributorsWHO WE ARECarlo Rovelli - Rethinking HumanityPope Francis - Rethinking PovertyPeter Hennessy - Rethinking DemocracyAnand Giridharadas - Rethinking CapitalismJared Diamond - Rethinking a Global ResponseZiauddin Sardar - Rethinking NormalityThe Dalai Lama - Rethinking Ancient WisdomC.K. Lal - Rethinking InstitutionsJarvis Cocker - Rethinking an Environmental RevolutionClare Chambers - Rethinking the BodySteven Pinker - Rethinking Human NatureTom Rivett-Carnac - Rethinking HistoryJonathan Sumption - Rethinking the StateWHAT WE DODavid Skelton - Rethinking IndustryEmma Griffin - Rethinking WorkCaleb Femi - Rethinking EducationGina McCarthy - Rethinking ActivismTara Westover - Rethinking the Education DivideKwame Anthony Appiah - Rethinking the Power of Small ActionsCharlotte Lydia Riley - Rethinking UniversitiesK.K. Shailaja - Rethinking DevelopmentSamantha Power - Rethinking Global GovernanceKT Tunstall - Rethinking the Music IndustryRebecca Adlington - Rethinking the Athlete's LifeBrenda Hale - Rethinking the CourtsNisha Katona - Rethinking HospitalityKatherine Granger - Rethinking the OlympicsDavid Graeber - Rethinking JobsJames Harding - Rethinking NewsCarolyn McCall Rethinking TelevisionHOW WE FEELMohammad Hanif - Rethinking IntimacyH.R. McMaster - Rethinking EmpathyCarol Cooper - Rethinking Racial EqualityPaul Krugman - Rethinking SolidarityAmonge Sinxoto - Rethinking SafetyReed Hastings - Rethinking TogethernessKang Kyung-wha - Rethinking AccountabilityLucy Jones - Rethinking BiophiliaColin Jackson - Rethinking Our Responsibility for Our HealthMirabelle Morah - Rethinking OurselvesNicci Gerrard - Rethinking Old AgeBrian Eno - Rethinking the WinnersJude Browne - Rethinking ResponsibilityElif Shafak Rethinking UncertaintyHOW WE LIVEAmanda Levete - Rethinking How We LiveNiall Ferguson - Rethinking ProgressDavid Wallace-Wells - Rethinking ConsensusMargaret MacMillan - Rethinking International CooperationHRH The Prince of Wales - Rethinking NatureOnora O'Neill - Rethinking Digital PowerMatthew Walker - Rethinking SleepHenry Dimbleby - Rethinking How We EatEliza Manningham-Buller - Rethinking Health InequalityPascal Soriot - Rethinking Medical Co-operationXine Yao - Rethinking MasksGeorge Soros - Rethinking DebtMariana Mazzucato - Rethinking ValueDouglas Alexander - Rethinking Economic DignityWHERE WE GOPeter Frankopan - Rethinking AsiaStuart Russell - Rethinking AIDeRay McKesson - Rethinking the ImpossibleV.S. Ramachandran - Rethinking BrainsSeb Emina - Rethinking TravelAaron Bastani - Rethinking an Aging PopulationRana Foroohar - Rethinking DataAnthony Townsend - Rethinking Robots

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Book Synopsis― Human Rights ― Equality ― Free Speech ― Privacy ― The Rule of Law These five ideas are vitally important to the way of life we enjoy today. The battle to establish them in law was long and difficult, and Anthony Lester was at the heart of the thirty-year campaign that resulted in the Human Rights Act, as well as the struggle for race and gender equality that culminated in the Equality Act of 2010. Today, however, our society is at risk of becoming less equal. From Snowden’s revelations about the power and reach of our own intelligence agencies to the treatment of British Muslims, our civil liberties are under threat as never before. The internet leaves our privacy in jeopardy in myriad ways, our efforts to combat extremism curtail free speech, and cuts to legal aid and interference with access to justice endanger the rule of law. A fierce argument for why we must act now to ensure the survival of the ideals that enable us to live freely, Five Ideas to Fight For is a revealing account of what we need to protect our hard-won rights and freedoms.Trade Review‘Illuminating and accessible…[Lester] speaks with enormous authority…Five Ideas to Fight For summarises what we have gained, and the dangers we still face from political hostility, ignorance and apathy.’ * David Pannick QC, The Times *‘Lester has dedicated his life to these causes. His personal anecdotes...are often frank admissions of how hard his work has been…This is what gives his book its special quality: few other lawyers would be able to do the subject matter justice.’ * Prospect *‘Passionate, and personal…nobody could finish Five Ideas To Fight For doubting that Anthony Lester has been an immense force for good.’ * Craig Purshouse, Times Literary Supplement *‘A powerful rallying cry for the creation of a civilised world made by the founding father of modern human rights in the UK – a hero of our times.’ -- Helena Kennedy QC‘Tells the story of an unparalleled life and work shaping the law. Anthony Lester inspires us to defend our Human Rights Act in difficult times.’ -- Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty‘Anthony Lester has long been one of our foremost champions of human rights and free speech. How wonderful that he has now gathered his years of experience into a book that tells us why these values matter.’ -- Gillian Slovo‘All the forces that, for decades, abused the human rights of the thalidomide children, are on the rise again in an ugly xenophobic populism: those who have the loudest voices have the smallest vision. They must be repulsed and there is no better person to summon us to the ramparts than the author of this exciting book.’ * Sir Harold Evans, editor-at-large for Thomson Reuters and former editor of The Sunday Times *‘His five principles are of immense importance to everyone in this country. They go to the heart of British values… His spirited defence of the “Five Ideas” and why and how they must be defended, deserves to reach the largest possible audience.’ -- Lord Woolf of Barnes, former Lord Chief Justice‘Anthony Lester has throughout his life – and often far in advance of his times – been an eloquent fighter for freedom of speech, equality under the law, protection from official arbitrariness and much else besides. His views and actions – as lawyer, legislator and citizen – have often irked those in power but have conduced to justice, human dignity and a sense of reasonableness and decency in the world around him. In this book he combines legal and political argument with telling personal anecdote – and he does so with a most engaging combination of practicality and passion.’ -- Vikram Seth, author of A Suitable Boy‘In this stirring call to action, Britain's greatest human rights lawyer issues a challenging, and compelling, agenda for change.’ -- Harold Hongju Koh, Sterling Professor of International Law at Yale Law School and former Legal Adviser to the US Department of State under President Obama‘A finely written and scrupulously accurate account of how human rights stand in Britain today and a clarion call for further struggle fully to achieve them... eloquent, liberal and street-wise, Lord Lester makes a compelling case against complacency... a book that should be required reading for MPs, newspaper editors and civil servants, so many of whom fail to understand the importance to our nation of protecting and enhancing civil liberties.’ -- Geoffrey Robertson QC‘This is not just another book on human rights. Anthony Lester's “Five Ideas” are those which have made the United Kingdom a free country. He himself has fought to maintain them, both in the courts and in Parliament, often with signal success. His account is practical and realistic – and a very good read.’ -- Sir Sydney Kentridge QC‘Five Ideas to Fight For is the powerful and provocative distillation of a lifetime of conviction and reminds us all in Lord Lester’s own words that “there is never a time for apathy – especially now.”’ -- Marian Wright Edelman, President and CEO, Children’s Defense Fund‘Anthony Lester has spent his life in the dedicated pursuit of freedom and justice, both as a lawyer and as a member of the House of Lords. We need to listen to his urgent case for upholding these core values and be inspired by the courage and passion with which he continues to fight for them.’ -- Mary Robinson‘Animated by the desire to protect fundamental human rights and freedoms in a long and distinguished career in law as a practitioner and lawmaker, Anthony Lester makes a passionate case for the defence of these rights – so hard won and so much under threat today. The legal arena has become an important part of the political struggle for change, a development that is mapped in this beautifully accessible book.’ * Southall Black Sisters *‘This powerful, elegant book is a distillation of decades of commitment to the advancement of human rights across the globe by one of the foremost lawyers of our time. It is a clarion call to action for all of us, in the United States as much as in his own country. Five Ideas to Fight For should be required reading for every lawyer and every politician.’ -- Hon. Margaret H. Marshall, former Chief Justice, Supreme Judicial Court, Massachusetts‘Anthony Lester has pioneered a new style of autobiography. It links his intellectual, philosophical and legal journeys through life with both great principles and his most cherished causes. It works. A fascinating and inspiring read.’ -- Peter Hennessy‘Anthony Lester is one of the world's foremost advocates of rights. His advocacy reflects his deep understanding of the principles at stake, his formidable skills as a litigator, and his passionate commitments in dealing with such issues as equality and freedom of expression. Reading this book is like holding a conversation with him. His opinions and his arguments are bracing and incisive and the entire experience is intellectually exciting.’ -- Aryeh Neier, president emeritus of the Open Society Foundations and former executive director of both Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Association‘Anthony Lester’s legacy of laws that promote equality, uphold individual liberty and protect human rights, is a remarkable one.’ -- Shirley Williams

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Book SynopsisSince Qaddafi’s ousting in 2011, Libya has been beset by instability and conflict. To understand the tumultuous state of the country today, one must look to its past. With great clarity and precision, renowned regional expert Ronald Bruce St John examines Libya’s long struggle to establish its political and economic identity amidst the interference of external actors keen to exploit the country’s strategic importance. This authoritative history spans the time of the early Phoenician and Greek settlements, colonization by Mussolini’s Italy, Qaddafi’s four decades of rule and, in this updated edition, the internal rivalries that have dominated the country in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. Essential reading for those seeking a greater understanding of this complex North African state, Libya: From Colony to Revolution is an insightful history, rich in detail and analysis.Trade Review‘An excellent political history of Libya…engaging.’ * Irish Times *‘Of all the books on Libya, Bruce St John’s is easily the most comprehensive and approachable.’ * Washington Post *‘A timely and necessary book…fluid in its writing and measured in its judgements.’ * New Internationalist *‘Excellent… accessible, informative and presented with clarity… You won't find a much better overview of Libya than this.’ * Herald *‘An excellent general overview, accessible, informative and presented with clarity… Until the secret archives in Tripoli have been raked over, you won’t find a much better overview of Libya than this.’ * Libya Herald *‘An excellent and concise history of this complex country.’ -- George Joffé, Centre of International Studies, Cambridge University‘Ronald Bruce St John is a committed scholar of Libya…his book offers the measured and confident tone of someone deeply familiar with the subject matter.’ * Richard Phelps, Quilliam Foundation, Journal of North African Studies *‘An excellent account of Libya’s often contentious history: clear, concise, accurate and balanced. It will be the best general work on the country available for the foreseeable future, very useful to anyone interested in the country.’ -- Lisa Anderson, James T. Shotwell Professor Emerita of International Relations, Columbia University‘For the general reader as well as for those with a good level of knowledge of Libya, there is perhaps no one better situated to...explain the country’s current and future dilemmas than Ronald Bruce St John…[an] admirable history.’ * Diederik Vandewalle, International Affairs *‘Rich in historical detail...containing rare insights into Libyan leader Qaddafi’s thinking, particularly on foreign affairs. Indispensable for every serious student of Libya or North Africa.’ -- Michele Dunne, Director and Senior Fellow, Middle East Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace‘An outstanding book...the best short history of Libya. St John has made us accustomed to first-rate analyses of Libya; this book is no exception and no students of Libya, from undergraduates to experts, could afford not to have it on their shelves.’ -- Yahia H. Zoubir, Professor of International Relations and International Management, and Director of Research in Geopolitics, Euromed Management, Marseille School of ManagementTable of ContentsPreface to Third Edition Preface to Second Edition Preface to First Edition Maps and Illustrations Note on Transliteration Select Chronology of Libyan History 1 Early History Historical Setting Phoenician Settlements in Tripolitania Greek Influence in Cyrenaica Roman Influence in Libya Arab Invasions Fatimids (910–1171) Hilalian Invasion Almoravids, Almohads, and Hafsids in Tripolitania Medieval Cyrenaica and Fezzan Lasting Impressions 2 Ottoman Occupation, 1551–1911 First Ottoman Occupation (1551–1711) Karamanli Dynasty (1711–1835) Barbary Wars Second Ottoman Occupation (1835–1911) Sanusi Order Foreign Schemes and Initiatives Young Turk Revolution Transformation 3 Italian Colonial Era, 1911–43 Misplaced Optimism Early Resistance and Collaboration Nascent Political Movements Tripoli Republic, 1918–22 Riconquista, 1923–32 Italian Colonial Policy Jewish Community Impact of Italian Occupation 4 Struggle for Independence, 1943–51 Liberation and Occupation Wartime Discussions Great Power Gridlock Regional and Domestic Politics Collide American Strategic Interests United Nations Decides Arab Nationalism, Aid, and Base Rights Conflicting Interests 5 United Kingdom of Libya, 1951–69 Socioeconomic Inheritance Palace System of Power Alliance Politics Western Dependence Impact of Oil National Identity Rise of Arab Nationalism Monarchy in Perspective The End 6 One September Revolution, 1969–73 Young Revolutionaries Great Power Denouement Primacy of Oil Socioeconomic Change Freedom, Nationalism, and Unity Popular Revolution Third Universal Theory 7 Revolution on the Move, 1973–86 The Green Book Direct Popular Authority Rush to Socialism Hydrocarbon Policy Confrontation with the West Arab Disunity Third Circle Declining Influence Abroad Confined to the Libyan Playhouse 8 Consolidation and Reform, 1986–98 Revolution within the Revolution Great Green Charter on Human Rights in the Era of the Masses Weapons of Mass Destruction Lockerbie European Relations Status Quo in Africa Turn to the Maghrib Rule of International Law Mounting Opposition 9 Libya Resurgent, 1998–2007 Out of Africa Looking East and West European Relations War on Terror Economic Reform Hydrocarbons, the Exception Social Conditions Political Developments Qaddafi’s Libya 10 A New Day Dawns, 2008–11 Socioeconomic Reform Political Reform Human Rights Africa Europe United States Arab Spring February 17 Revolution Military Events Political Developments End of the Beginning 11 Post-Qaddafi Libya General National Congress Elections Islamists Ascendant Constitutional Drafting Process Descent into Chaos Libyan Political Agreement Time for a Reset Europe United States Arab World Africa Who Lost Libya? Further Reading Notes Index

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Book SynopsisThe EU referendum in the UK and Trump’s victory in the USA sent shockwaves through our democratic systems. In Democracy and Its Crisis A. C. Grayling investigates why the institutions of representative democracy seem unable to hold up against forces they were designed to manage, and why it matters. First he considers those moments in history when the challenges we face today were first encountered and what solutions were found. Then he lays bare the specific threats facing democracy today. The paperback edition includes new material on the reforms that are needed to make our system truly democratic.Trade Review‘Grayling incisively surveys attempts by Western thinkers, from Plato and Aristotle to Madison and Tocqueville, to resolve what he calls the “dilemma of democracy”: the tension between the belief that power belongs ultimately to the people, and the desire for stable and humane government.’ * Wall Street Journal *‘We are mystified, alarmed, even frightened by the cascade of events that beset our world. A. C. Grayling not only clarifies the way in which these events are challenging the workings of democracy – amid the rise in populism in response – but comes up with solutions.’ -- Jon Snow, journalist and broadcaster‘A. C. Grayling applies his great intellectual prowess to the most pressing issue of our times – the subversion of modern democracies by dark money, corporate power, Big Data, social media and fractured political party systems. Utterly brilliant. Urgently needed. A book for NOW.’ * Helena Kennedy, QC *‘A compelling and deeply unsettling dissection of the way in which democratic principles have been subverted by vested interests in the UK and the USA. This book shows that democracy can only be defended if we first understand how it is being attacked.’ -- Nick Clegg, former Deputy Prime Minister‘A compelling book worthy of being shelved alongside the Federalist Papers and Two Treatises of Government.’ * Kirkus *‘A concise, clear and challenging survey of the history of democracy, its recent failures and how we might repair it.’ * Shelf Awareness *

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Book SynopsisGraham Greene saw the Castros rise; Sarah Rainsford watched them leave. From the street where Wormold, the hapless hero of Greene’s Our Man in Havana, plied his trade, BBC foreign correspondent Rainsford reports on Fidel’s reshaping of a nation, and what the future holds for ordinary Cubans now that he and his brother Raul are no longer in power. Through tales of literary ghosts and forgotten reporters, believers in the revolution and dissidents, entrepreneurs optimistic about the new Cuba and the disillusioned still looking for a way out, Our Woman in Havana paints an enthralling picture of this enigmatic country as it enters a new era.Trade Review‘An unmissable insight into a still hidden world.’ -- Mishal Husain‘[A] colourful and affectionate account of this complex and fascinating place.’ * Literary Review *‘Rainsford confronts a country of enigmatic contradictions with eyes and heart wide open in this fascinating, enlightening read.’ * Booklist *‘Sarah Rainsford has written a lively and detailed account of her time in Havana and evokes the spirit of Graham Greene in delightful and surprising ways.’ -- Thomas P. O’Connor, director of Dangerous Edge: A Life of Graham Greene, and Professor Emeritus, James Madison University

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Book SynopsisIn July 1988, the Islamic Republic of Iran agreed to bring an end to the brutal eight-year war with Iraq. Over the next two months, under the orders of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini, political prisoners around the country were secretly brought before a tribunal panel that would later become known as the Death Commission. They were not told what was happening and did not know that one ‘wrong’ answer concerning their faith or political affiliation would send them straight to the gallows. Thousands of men and women were condemned to death, many buried in mass graves in Khavaran Cemetery in the vicinity of Tehran. Through eyewitness accounts of survivors, research by scholars and memories of children and spouses of the deceased, Voices of a Massacre reconstructs the events of that bloody summer. Over thirty years later, the Iranian government has still not officially acknowledged that they ever took place.Trade Review‘Powerfully moving testimonies from prisoners who survived the brutal crackdowns in Tehran in 1988 by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini… A wrenching, important work of historical scholarship demanding justice for the victims.’ * Kirkus, starred review *‘A multifaceted record of state violence and its astounding impacts… Nasser Mohajer’s substantial compilation is a vital contribution to the record of this still-suppressed history.’ * World Literature Today *‘Voices of a Massacre is a unique and creative portrayal of [a] tragic reality… International promoters of human rights ought to be grateful to Nasser Mohajer for producing an insightful and invaluable testimony to prove that the Islamic Republic of Iran is guilty of committing crimes against humanity.’ * Mansour Farhang, Center for Human Rights in Iran *‘Once again the lesson must be learned that not all massacres are reported and acknowledged as the brutal and systematic killings that they are. What geopolitical reasons are there for having kept the history of the Great Massacre of 1988 in Iran from being told? This indispensable volume, Voices of a Massacre, takes the reader through that history, exposes the well-constructed oblivion to which this history has been consigned, and assembles the testimonies of political prisoners and those who mourn their losses. It documents the various arduous efforts to appeal to the government, the media, and international authorities to recognize and condemn this crime, and weaves together the acts of resistance among those who are fighting for this history to be told and known. This is an urgent and belated book that draws on multiple archives to establish the systematic death-dealing of the late 1980s in Iran, as well as the unforgivable and complicitous silence on this period of lethal violence. That history is established through many voices and genres, all of which constitute a living testimonial, a collective act of mourning, and a resounding call for justice.’ -- Judith Butler, Maxine Elliot Professor of Comparative Literature, University of California, Berkeley, and author of Precarious Life and The Force of Nonviolence‘Nasser Mohajer writes for the same reasons as George Orwell—“desire to see things as they are, to find out true facts and to store them up for the use of posterity”. This is an invaluable testimony to the shameful 1988 prison massacres that the authorities denied, regime historians tried to vaporize, and many others either minimized or glossed over its medieval essence. The Inquisition that oversaw the mass executions was not only horrific but also unprecedented in the whole of Iran’s long history.’ -- Ervand Abrahamian, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Iranian and Middle Eastern history and politics, Baruch College and Graduate Center, City University of New York, and author of A History of Modern Iran‘Voices of a Massacre is a testament to the human capacity to resist, survive, remember, and respond ethically to others—even at the very limit of what a person can bear. It is gut-wrenching and difficult to read, and that is precisely why we must read it, as slowly and carefully as necessary to absorb what has happened and to grasp what must be done. The book is a truly amazing achievement.’ -- Lisa Guenther, Queen’s National Scholar in Political Philosophy and Critical Prison Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, and author of Solitary Confinement: Social Death and Its Afterlives‘Voices of a Massacre is an unsparing account of Untold Stories of Life and Death, vital for understanding the cruelty of the Islamic Republic of Iran, yet unique in presenting human qualities of resistance, hope, despair, and fear under the condition of imprisonment. Through insightful narrations one can imagine and sense people’s desire for survival when pushed to life’s extremes. An agonizing, but not-to-be-evaded read.’ -- Shahrzad Mojab, Professor, University of Toronto, and author of Revolutionary Learning: Marxism, Feminism and Knowledge‘Voices of a Massacre is a valuable response to the “duty of memory”. Through both analysis and testimony, it provides a profound series of reflections on the shocking 1988 mass killing of political prisoners that continues to cast a long shadow on the people of Iran. By surfacing the historical truth, this unique collection helps confront the culture of denial and impunity that stands in the way of a better future built on the supremacy of human rights.’ -- Payam Akhavan, Professor of International Law, McGill University, and author of In Search of a Better WorldTable of ContentsAcknowledgments A Note on Translation and Transliteration Foreword Preface Chapter One: In Hindsight The Great Massacre | Nasser Mohajer Chapter Two: Voices of Survival Testimonies (Women’s Prison) This Is a Warning: “We Plan to Kill You” | Mahnaz Saida Summer 1988 | Anahita Rahmani He Held His Head Up | Nazli Partovi A Taste of Mortadella: Reflections on Massacre and Resistance | Shokoufeh Sakhi Reynaldo Galindo Pohl’s Inspection of Evin Prison | Laleh Mastour Testimonies (Men’s Prison) Chronicle of a Crime | Iraj Mesdaghi Life-Bestowing Telephone Call | Mehdi Aslani Awaiting Our Fate | Nasser Kh. A Defining Moment | Mehrdad Neshati Melikiyans Chapter Three: The Massacre in the Provinces Still an Enigma | Fatemeh Jokar Interviewing Ms. Zaher Executions in the Provinces: Summer 1988 | Assad Saif Chapter Four: The Mothers of Khavaran Past and Present | Nasser Mohajer Anoush Brought Me Back to Life | Said Afshar Interviewing Forough Lotfi A Note on Two Letters | Nasser Mohajer Human Rights in Iran | Brigitte Behzadi To the UN Human Rights Commission | Brigitte Behzadi The Mothers of Khavaran: A Unique Movement | Nasser Mohajer Chapter Five: Sons and Daughters of the Perished Speak Out Home | Samad Kiani Thirty Years | Saiid Ismati Open Letter to My Father’s Hangmen | Lale Behzadi Testifying: A Journey into the Past Ahead of Us | Chowra Makaremi My Father, Ahmad Danesh | Stefan Parvis Töpelmann Chapter Six: A Call for Justice The Iran Tribunal: Justice in the Making | Shokoufeh Sakhi The Movement for Seeking Justice in Iran: Which Strategy? | Mojdeh Arasi and Homayoon Ivani Never Again | Jafar Behkish Appendix A: Unearthing a Crime Against Humanity in Bits and Pieces | Kaveh Yazdani Appendix B: Political Parties and Organizations of 1980s Iran Appendix C: Chronology of the Massacre | Fatemeh Jokar Glossary Index

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Book SynopsisA magisterial and sweeping history of modern Africa.The end of the Second World War signalled the rapid end of the European African empires. In 1945, only four African countries were independent; by 1963, thirty African states created the Organization of African Unity. Despite formidable problems, the 1960s were a time of optimism as Africans enjoyed their new independence, witnessed increases in prosperity and prepared to tackle their political and economic problems in their own way. By the 1990s, however, the high hopes of the 1960s had been dashed. Dictatorship by strongmen, corruption, civil wars and genocide, widespread poverty and the interventions and manipulations of the major powers had all relegated Africa to the position of an aid 'basket case', with some of the world's poorest and least-developed nations. By exploring developments over the last fifteen years, including the impact of China, new IT technology and the Arab Spring, the rise of Nigeria as Africa's leading country and the recent refugee crisis, Guy Arnold brings his landmark history of modern Africa up to date and provides a fresh and insightful perspective on this troubled and misunderstood continent.Trade ReviewIt is difficult to imagine a better source for reading up on Africa's history. -- Gordon Brewer * Scotland on Sunday *Vast and brilliant... orderly but still managing to nip down a fascinating byway when necessary... a groundbreaking book. -- Giles Foden * Guardian *

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Book Synopsis'A fun history of political dishonesty' The TimesIn a history full of wit and acumen, Private Eye journalist Adam Macqueen dissects the gripping stories of the biggest political lies of the last half-century, from the cover-up of Churchill's stroke to Iraq's WMDs to Theresa May's announcement that she wouldn't be calling a snap election. Also covering a selection of Donald Trump's litany of untruths, other infamous lies from foreign shores, and lesser known British whoppers, this is the quintessential guide to dishonesty from our leaders.Trade ReviewAn excellent guide through the thickets of political mendacity. Brilliantly-researched, intelligent, and lucid, this book is essential reading * Matthew D’Ancona *Irresistibly enjoyable... Funny, colourful and always insightful * Dominic Sandbrook – historian, columnist and television presenter *Forensic and hilarious... Macqueen tells the highly entertaining tale of how lying comes so easily to those who should be the most accountable * Miles Jupp – presenter, BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz *The best book about political dishonesty that I've ever read * Lloyd Langford – comedian *Hilarious and troubling * Daily Mail on The Prime Minister's Ironing Board and Other State Secrets *Vignettes of British political life from the whimsical to the downright chilling . . . delightfully gossipy * Financial Times on The Prime Minister's Ironing Board and Other State Secrets *Full of wry, waspish humour * The Scotsman on The Prime Minister's Ironing Board and Other State Secrets *The perfect bedside book * Guardian on The Prime Minister's Ironing Board and Other State Secrets *

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Book SynopsisThe Eurozone crisis since 2010 has instilled political disunity and generated a long period of economic stagnation. The cyclical recovery enjoyed in 2017 is no cause for complacency. It should act as an impetus to undertake long-overdue reforms, which require a change in perspective to develop a medium-term orientation for the next decade. There is no future for those incapable of investing. There is no stimulus for innovative investment in countries that have been converted to the hegemony of finance at the expense of productive investment. Europe must confront the challenges of the 21st century by recovering its ideological autonomy in the community spirit of its origins,which can be summed up as social progress.This book demonstrates the need for a long-term vision with two goals: reconstructing a social contract based on an entrepreneurial partnership and investing in the ecological transition. This political vision will restore to citizens of the member-states a sense of belonging to a wider community. To attain this, argues Michel Aglietta, one of the most important heterodox economists today, we must strengthen European institutions at the financial and fiscal levels. This involves making the euro a full currency, endowed with democratic legitimacy.Trade ReviewA survival manual for the Eurozone * Le Monde *

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Book SynopsisIt is often said that with the election of Donald Trump nativism was raised from the dead. After all, here was a president who organized his campaign around a rhetoric of unvarnished racism and xenophobia. Among his first acts on taking office was to issue an executive order blocking Muslim immigrants from entering the United States. But although his actions may often seem unprecedented, they are not as unusual as many people believe. This story doesn't begin with Trump. For decades, Republicans and Democrats alike have employed xenophobic ideas and policies, declaring time and again that "illegal immigration" is a threat to the nation's security, wellbeing, and future. The profound forces of all-American nativism have, in fact, been pushing politics so far to the right over the last forty years that, for many people, Trump began to look reasonable. As Daniel Denvir argues, issues as diverse as austerity economics, free trade, mass incarceration, the drug war, the contours of the post 9/11 security state, and, yes, Donald Trump and the Alt-Right movement are united by the ideology of nativism, which binds together assorted anxieties and concerns into a ruthless political project. All-American Nativism provides a powerful and impressively researched account of the long but often forgotten history that gave us Donald Trump.Trade ReviewDaniel Denvir's All-American Nativism is the book we need, a searing work of scholarship that explains how we entered the current hellscape of American politics and what we have to do to get out. The roots of white nativism are deep, as Denvir's book makes clear, but like all roots can be pulled up and killed. All-American Nativism will help us do so. -- Greg Grandin, author of The End of the MythAll-American Nativism powerfully explores the deep roots of nativism in national life as well as how Trump's agenda is itself the culmination of the policies and the logic pursued for decades by both major parties. In the process, Daniel Denvir masterfully demonstrates the relationship between today's debates over immigration and ongoing struggles against neoliberal austerity, mass incarceration, and the violence of the security state. In this way, the book not only offers a diagnosis of the present, but also a stirring vision of solidarity and change. This is an essential and profound work, providing critical insights about the American experience and where to go from here. -- Aziz Rana, author of The Two Faces of American FreedomIn this timely book, Daniel Denvir tackles am important question: what is old and what is new in Trump's nativism? Denvir helps us understand both the historical roots and the more recent routes by which "build the wall" came to be the central rallying cry of racial-nationalism. A must-read for anyone who wants to know how we got here. -- Mae Ngai, author of Impossible Subjects, Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern AmericaAs Daniel Denvir's exceptional book shows, the history of US immigration politics is central to understanding how our many crises have converged in this moment. It's precisely the kind of analysis our movements need to pry open the fissures of the current order, and join in common struggle for a better world. -- Naomi Klein, author of No is Not EnoughDaniel Denvir's All American Nativism excavates the history of anti-immigrant politics in the United States and reveals a difficult truth: Donald Trump is the symptom, and not the cause, of a bipartisan consensus underlying the current war on immigrants. In this sense, Denvir's book is an invaluable tool for organizers and activists who subscribe to what Paulo Freire meant by praxis, where reflection and action are required to bring about transformative change. -- Pablo Alvarado, National Day Laborer Organizing NetworkTraces the development of anti-immigrant sentiment -- Cora Currier * The Intercept *Shimmers with frustration and rage -- Brendan O'Connor * The Baffler *

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Book SynopsisDissects how competing, increasingly strident visions of India will shape its destiny for decades to come. Over a billion Indians are alive today. But are some more Indian than others? To answer this question, central to the identity of all who belong to modern India, Shashi Tharoor explores hotly contested notions of nationalism, patriotism, citizenship and belonging. Two opposing ideas of India have emerged: ethno-religious nationalism, versus civic nationalism. This struggle for India’s soul now threatens to hollow out and destroy the remarkable concepts bestowed upon the nation at Independence: pluralism, secularism, inclusive nationhood. The Constitution is under siege; institutions are being undermined; mythical pasts propagated; universities assailed; minorities demonised, and worse. Tharoor shows how these new attacks threaten the ideals India has long been admired for, as authoritarian leaders and their supporters push the country towards illiberalism and intolerance. If they succeed, millions will be stripped of their identity, and bogus theories of Indianness will take root in the soil of the subcontinent. However, all is not yet lost. This erudite, lucid book, taking a long view of India's existential crisis, shows what needs to be done to save everything that is unique and valuable about India.Trade Review'If there were a prize for the most eloquent politician in India, Shashi Tharoor would be a favorite to win. […] The Struggle for India’s Soul is a fighting, passionate book.' -- The Wall Street Journal

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Book SynopsisThe Hazaras of Afghanistan have borne the brunt of many of the destructive forces unleashed by the establishment of the Afghan monarchy in 1747. The history of their relationship with the Afghan state has been punctuated by frequent episodes of ethnic cleansing, mass dispossession, forced displacement, enslavement and social and economic exclusion. Mostly Shia in a country dominated by Sunni Muslims, and identifiable because of their Asian features, the Hazaras became Afghanistan's internal 'Other'. They look different and practise a different school of Islam in a country that is prone to internal conflict and the machinations of external powers. The history of the Hazaras therefore offers a unique perspective into the deep contradictions of Afghanistan as a modern state, and how its ethnic and religious dynamics continue to undermine the post-2001 political process. This volume provides a fresh account of both the strategies and tactics of the Afghan state and how the Hazaras have responded to them, focusing on three key phenomena: Hazara rebellion and resistance to the intrusion of the Afghan state in the nineteenth century; the incorporation of the Hazara homeland into Afghanistan in the 1890s and their subsequent marginalisation and exclusion; and the Hazaras' ethnic mobilisation and struggle for recognition in recent decades.Trade Review'Ibrahimi's impressively detailed history helps us to make sense of the current political situation in Afghanistan ... throughout the book Ibrahimi adopts a healthy critical stance towards essentialist theories of ethnicity. He aptly shows that to get a full picture of Afghan politics it is necessary to both zoom out to the global and transnational level, and zoom in below the provincial level.' -- The Times Literary SupplementNiamatullah Ibrahimi's richly-textured account of Hazaras' relations with the Afghan state not only sheds light on the social and political complexities of a highly-vulnerable group; it also illuminates dimensions of the state building enterprise in Afghanistan in ways that highlight the challenges of internationally-supported state building more broadly. A pathbreaking book. -- William Maley, Professor of Diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific College of Diplomacy at the Australian National University; author of 'What is a Refugee?' and 'Reconstructing Afghanistan: Civil-Military Experiences in Comparative Perspective''In this this sympathetic but nonpolemic book . . . Ibrahimi has undertaken field and archival research to trace the efforts of the Hazaras to protect their identity and patrimony and to find a legitimate place in the Afghan state.''An excellent forensic survey.'A work of great interest, which skilfully examines the link between nation-state formation since the late nineteenth century and the politicisation of ethnic identities. Focusing on the case of the Hazaras, Ibrahimi demonstrates how ethnicity, far from being a primordial form of social organisation, became an idiom of political mobilisation. -- Alessandro Monsutti, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva; author of 'War and Migration: Social Networks and Economic Strategies of the Hazaras of Afghanistan'Ibrahimi vividly relates the history of the long persecuted Hazara minority, unravelling their relations with the Afghan state for over two centuries, their complex internal political rivalries, the role of foreign interventions, and their recent successes in an on-going struggle for recognition. It is a bloody, tragic, but often inspiring story. -- Richard Tapper, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology in the University of LondonIbrahimi evaluates the costs in the creation of modern nation-states in multiethnic societies by narrating the sufferings of one group, the Hazaras, in the making of Afghanistan. A must-read for political analysts, policy makers and those wishing to understand why failed multiethnic nation-states provoke politics of rage and extremism in the region. -- Nazif M. Shahrani, Professor of Anthropology, Central Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Indiana University

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Book SynopsisThe UK has declared a 'climate emergency' and pledged to become carbon neutral by 2050. So how do we get there? Drawing on actions, policies and technologies already emerging around the world, Chris Goodall sets out the ways to achieve this. His proposals include: -Building a huge over-capacity of wind and solar energy, storing the excess as hydrogen. -Using hydrogen to fuel our trains, shipping, boilers and heavy industry, while electrifying buses, trucks and cars. -Farming - and eating - differently, encouraging plant-based alternatives to meat -paying farmers to plant and maintain woodlands. -Making fashion sustainable and aviation pay its way, funding synthetic fuels and genuine offsets. -Using technical solutions to capture CO2 from the air, and biochar to lock carbon in the soil. What We Need To Do Now is an urgent, practical and inspiring book that signals a green new deal for Britain.Trade ReviewThis is exactly the kind of mapping out that we need to make the zero carbon world happen. Chris Goodall's plan is well argued and delightfully readable.Chris Goodall is the kind of person we need to lead us to safety faced with climate change. I learned so much reading this book. It's crisp, superbly researched - and remarkably calm. We can do this.Praise for Ten Technologies: 'Brilliantly concise and clear-eyed.' * New Scientist *Praise for How to Live a Low-Carbon Life: 'Valuable ammunition for those who want to do something about global warming ... Goodall is a pioneer.' * Guardian *The Switch 'A highly readable book ... for anyone interested in the future of energy.' * Financial Times *

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Book Synopsis A brand new way to understand and remember 100 of the most important concepts in the history of political thought.Understanding the history and significance of today''s political climate can be confusing and daunting. Politics Hacks is here to give you quick definitions and background on 100 key political theories from the last 1,000 years.Each idea is broken down into three stages:1) The helicopter view, which gives you an introduction to the idea, and some context around it.2) The shortcut, which gives you the core elements of the theory, along with a range of examples that everyone can understand.3) The hack, which is a one-liner designed to stick in your memory and give you an instant grasp of the concept.Whether you quickly want to get to grips with neo-Marxism, understand the principles of expansionist nationalism, or know the history of the Wahhabi movement, this book is the perfect way to speedy enlightenment.

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Book SynopsisIn Development in Latin America, Maristella Svampa explores the contemporary development and resistance dynamics of capitalist development the workings (on people and societies) of the world capitalist system in the context of Latin America, where these dynamics have had their most notable outcomes.She focuses on the phenomenon of neoextractivism, the combination of the global advance of resource-seeking extractive capital (foreign investments in the extraction of natural resources) and the commodities consensus (export of raw materials), among both neoliberal and progressive governments analyzing their common elements as well as their differences.Svampa explores the complex dynamics of socio-environmental conflict associated with neoextractivism, as well as what she refers to as the eco-territorial turn. Svampa's analysis includes both the ecological and gender dimensions of the global and regional capitalist development process.Maristella Svampa is an Argentine sociologist, writer and activist. She is a researcher at Conicet (Argentine National Scientific and Technical Research Council) and a professor at the Universidad Nacional de la Plata (Buenos Aires Province). She participates in the Permanent Alternative to Development Group in Latin America and coordinates several groups concerned with ecological themes in Argentina. Maristella Svampa has written several books about political and social problems in Latin America.

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Book Synopsis

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