Reportage, journalism or collected columns Books

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 SynopsisIn these breathtaking intellectual adventure stories, covering everything from criminology to ketchup, job interviews to dog training, Malcolm Gladwell looks under the surface of everyday life to show how the most ordinary subjects can illuminate the most extraordinary things about us and our world.''Masterpieces in the art of the essay'' Steven Pinker, The New York Times''Beautiful ... brings together the writing that made Gladwell the extraordinary figure he is today ... one of the most imaginative non-fiction writers of his generation'' Ian Sample, Guardian ''Chatty, perceptive, impish and amiable ... Comes exuberantly close to ... what goes on inside other people''s heads'' Philip Womack, Daily Telegraph ''Gladwell makes the world seem fresh and exciting again'' Evening StandardTrade ReviewGladwell's range is impressive and his writing never less than engaging * FT *The pieces form a dazzling record of Gladwell's art * Guardian *Make your social commentary sparkle with Malcolm Gladwell's latest * Sunday Times *He's able to examine what look like the most mundane aspects of our daily lives and to reveal the cleverness - and the strangeness - within * Sunday Telegraph *Vibrant, colourful and packed with surprises * Guardian *Gladwell soars high * Spectator *

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Book Synopsis''Naomi Klein''s work has always moved and guided me. She is the great chronicler of our age of climate emergency, an inspirer of generations'' - Greta Thunberg For more than twenty years Naomi Klein''s books have defined our era, chronicling the exploitation of people and the planet and demanding justice. On Fire gathers for the first time more than a decade of her impassioned writing from the frontline of climate breakdown, and pairs it with new material on the staggeringly high stakes of what we choose to do next. Here is Klein at her most prophetic and philosophical, investigating the climate crisis not only as a profound political challenge but also as a spiritual and imaginative one. Delving into topics ranging from the clash between ecological time and our culture of ''perpetual now,'' to rising white supremacy and fortressed borders as a form of ''climate barbarism,'' this is a rousing call to action for a planet on the brink. With dispaTrade ReviewNaomi Klein's work has always moved and guided me. She is the great chronicler of our age of climate emergency, an inspirer of generations -- Greta ThunbergThe greatest theorist of climate change. -- Amitav GhoshNaomi Klein applies her fine, fierce and meticulous mind to the greatest, most urgent questions of our times. . . . I count her among the most inspirational political thinkers in the world today. -- Arundhati RoyNaomi is like a great doctor - she can diagnose problems nobody else sees. -- Alfonso CuarónNaomi Klein is a precious gift: every time I read her words, my heart leaps from sadness and anger to action. She takes us deep, down to the roots of what is wrong - and then up, up to a height from which we can see what must be done. Everything we love is at stake now: these writings are our best and brightest hope. -- Emma ThompsonA critically important thought-leader in these perilous times, a necessary voice as a courageous movement of movements rises from the ashes. -- Michelle Alexander, author of THE NEW JIM CROWAn invigorating message of climate hope through social transformation. Bring on the revolution. -- Fred Pearce * New Scientist *In On Fire, the longstanding critic of corporate globalisation argues for a much more comprehensive economic reboot ... a long-lensed critique about humanity's relationship to nature. -- Jonathan Ford * Financial Times *A hopeful vision of the future ... In these extraordinary times it should appeal to a new set of readers looking for extreme solutions to match the extremity of the crisis. This is Klein doing what she does best: 'not being polite and not playing by the rules'. -- Harriet Constable * Geographical Magazine *A powerful and righteous blast against defeatism. -- Andrew Lynch * Business Post *

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Book SynopsisThe Case of Lizzie Borden and Other Writings is the first work to collect Garver Jordan's fiction and journalism, much of which has been out of print for over a century.Jordan began her career as a reporter, making her name as one of few female journalists to cover the Lizzie Borden murder trial for the New York World in 1893. Jordan's distinctive, narrative-driven coverage of the Borden and other high-profile murder cases brought her national visibility and she turned increasingly to fiction writing.Drawing on her experiences as a true-crime reporter and newspaper editor, she published detective novels and short story collections such as Tales of the City Room that explored the fine line between women's criminality and crimes against women. Employing popular genre conventions as a means of dealing with women's issues, Jordan exposed gendered abuse in the workplace and the prevalence of sexual violence.The Case of Lizzie Borden and Oth

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Book SynopsisA new translation of the complete, unabridged text of Galileo's Dialogue, with a detailed introduction and explanatory notes, giving contemporary readers access in English to Galileo's authentic text with comprehensive and up-to-date notes.Table of ContentsIntroduction Note on the Text and Translation Select Bibliography A Chronology of Galileo Dialogue on the Two Greatest World Systems Explanatory Notes

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Book SynopsisMiami, Summer 1968. The Vietnam War is raging; Martin Luther King, Jr., and Bobby Kennedy have just been assassinated. The Republican Party meets in Miami and picks Richard Nixon as its candidate, to little fanfare. But when the Democrats back Lyndon Johnson''s ineffectual vice president, Hubert Humphrey, the city of Chicago erupts. Antiwar protesters fill the streets and the police run amok, beating and arresting demonstrators and delegates alike, all broadcast on live television, and captured in these pages by one of America''s fiercest intellects.

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Book SynopsisAn arresting, deeply reported new book' Washington PostThis gripping, inflaming book, itself an act of fury, shows how revenge can transmute into politics or be crushed by it' Larissa MacFarquharFlock has a novelist's knack for creating suspense . . . This one will stick with readers' Publishers Weekly-----------------------------------------------In this profoundly moving book, Emmy-winning journalist Elizabeth Flock explores the stories of three women living in deeply patriarchal places with destructive cultures of honour, places in which institutions government, police, courts failed to protect women from violence, leaving them no option but to stand up and protect themselves.Brittany Smith, a young woman from Stevenson, Alabama, killed a man she said raped her in her own home, but was denied the protection of a self-defense argument. Angoori Dahariya led a gang in Uttar Pradesh, India, dedicated to avenging victims of domestic abuse. And Cicek Mustafa Zibo fought in a thousands-strong all-female militia that battled ISIS in Syria.Can women's acts of vengeance help to create lasting change in their communities, or will they ultimately hurt their cause? The novelistic accounts of these three women offer profound insights into the quest for understanding what a society in which women have real power might look like.

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Book Synopsis''Extraordinary'' TONY BLAIR''Riveting'' - PHILIPPE SANDS''Brutal, brilliant and scurrilously funny'' - MISHA GLENNYThe real scoop isn''t on the front page''As FT editor, I was a privileged interlocutor to people in power around the world, each offering unique insights into high-level decision-making and political calculation, often in moments of crisis. These diaries offer snapshots of leadership in an age of upheaval...''Lionel Barber was Editor of the Financial Times for the tech boom, the global financial crisis, the rise of China, Brexit, and mainstream media''s fight for survival in the age of fake news.In this unparalleled, no-holds-barred diary of life behind the headlines, he reveals the private meetings and exchanges with political leaders on the eve of referendums, the conversations with billionaire bankers facing economic meltdown, exchanges with Silicon Valley tech gurus and pleas from foreign emissaries desperate for inside knowledge, all against the backdrop of a wildly shifting media landscape.The result is a fascinating - and at times scathing - portrait of power in our modern age; who has it, what it takes and what drives the men and women with the world at their feet. Featuring close encounters with Trump, Cameron, Blair, Putin, Merkel and Mohammed Bin Salman and many more, this is a rare portrait of the people who continue to shape our world and who quite literally, make the news.Trade ReviewA remarkable book, alternately brutal, brilliant and scurrilously funny ...a gripping page-turner full of sharp pen portraits that reveal the anxieties and vulnerabilities of the rich and powerful. Don't miss it * Misha Glenny, bestselling author of MCMAFIA, now a major Netflix series *Riveting - a world of power, money, ego and disaster, as witnessed from the front row * Philippe Sands, bestselling author of EAST WEST STREET and THE RATLINE *Gives the reader an extraordinary personal and professional insight into fifteen years of tumultuous times * Tony Blair *Vastly entertaining and insightful... Barber saw it all from the front row. An exhilarating read * Sir Harold Evans ex-editor of the SUNDAY TIMES *A delicious romp, dripping with bon mots about the people and issues Lionel Barber encountered while ensuring the FT thrived in digital times. It's as fine an advertisement for the virtues of journalism as you will find -- Sir Michael Moritz, Silicon Valley Venture Capitalist and sponsor of the Booker Prize

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Book SynopsisA Times, Financial Times and Telegraph Book of the Year 2023'Illuminates some of the great trends of our time' - Gideon Rachman, Financial Times'Vivid, urgent and unsettling' - Tom Holland, author of Dominion_____What does it now mean to call yourself European? Who makes up this population of some 750 million, sprawled from Ireland to Ukraine, from Sweden to Turkey? Who has always called it home, and who has newly arrived from elsewhere? Who are the people who drive our long-distance lorries, steward our criss-crossing planes, lovingly craft our legacy wines, fish our depleted waters, and risk life itself in search of safety and a new start?In a series of vivid but always empathetic portraits of other people’s lives, journalist Ben Judah invites us to meet them. Drawn from hours of painstaking interviews, these vital stories reveal a vibrant continent which has been transformed by Trade ReviewThrilling, first-hand tales that explore the danger and ambitions of life in Europe. * The Financial Times, A Book of the Year 2023 *If you wish to know what Europe is becoming without us in its club, you'd do well to read Ben Judah's This Is Europe. * Telegraph, A Book of the Year 2023 *Imagine Ballard and Houellebecq teaming up on a Grand Tour, and you will have some idea of just how vivid, urgent and unsettling this superbly written book is. * Tom Holland *Unflinching . . . a powerful piece of reportage. * The Guardian *An extraordinary series of interviews. -- Rory StewartDeeply empathetic. Judah is an ace reporter with a novelist's love of character. He conjures people and place in a modern literary form he has made his own. There's no romance to this journey across Europe — but an abundance of story which will make you lurch between fascination, laughter and tears. -- Sophy Roberts, author of The Lost Pianos of SiberiaMakes you expand the boundaries of your sympathies and your understanding. It’s an astonishing achievement. * Evening Standard *A kaleidoscope of bright human experience. Moving, poignant and compelling – I devoured this in a day. -- Jenny Kleeman, author of Sex Robots & Vegan MeatBrilliantly vivid. * Daily Mail *Illuminating . . . a bold literary and journalistic experiment. Judah knows how to tell a story and does so with panache. * The Spectator *Ben Judah has the ability to listen and retell, see and describe, feel and convey . . . Judah paints another Europe with intense and dramatic detail – a Europe that you may not recognize, but that you will look for every day having read this book. -- Andrey Kurkov, author of Death and the PenguinAn impressive work, like a chorus. * TLS *Superb . . . a compelling read. * The New European *A hallucinatory tour de force . . . life affirming. * The Jewish Chronicle *Such an ambitious project it automatically deserves applause . . . reminds us that below every system and conflict there are human beings. * Irish Times *Captivating. * Le Monde *A singular journalistic achievement. * The Fence *A fabulous book. -- Quentin Lafay * France Culture *'Poignant and powerful . . . reveals a Europe in a time of profound change. * Diplomatic Courier *Pick a chapter and you will be dropped in the middle of a fascinating tale . . . absorbing and addictive. * Politico podcast *Sprawling, impressionistic, occasionally exhilarating . . . narratives which rest upon the force of raw experience. * European Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisGeorge Orwell, perhaps one of the most perceptive writers of the twentieth century, wrote extensively about English life and politics. This selection of his essays and journalism brings together his most provocative and insightful writing on England and Englishness. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition is edited and introduced by Professor Michael Gardiner.Orwell’s interests were broad. He often wrote about everyday concerns such as transport, food and the weather. Turning to social issues, he exposed the plight of the poor and the unemployed. He dissected the idea of nationalism and he examined the failings of the Left. What emerges from his acute observation of English rituals, habits and attitudes is his belief that these are the very things with which the English people can defend themselves against oppression. His writing remains insightful and prescient to this day.Trade ReviewHis [Orwell’s] real talent was for analysing and explaining a tumultuous period in human history. -- Dorian Lynsky * Guardian *In my 20s, I discovered Orwell’s essays and nonfiction books and reread them so many times that my copies started to disintegrate. -- George Packer * The Atlantic *

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The long-awaited collection of some of the best columns, principally on sport, written by Martin Kelner, gathered together for the first time with some memoires and unpublished material. With a foreword by Gary Lineker.

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Book SynopsisForeword by Amartya Sen (Nobel Prize for Economics, 1998) Afterword by Kailash Satyarthi (Nobel Peace Prize, 2014)In 2005, Nick Danziger began to create an archive of photographs documenting the lives of women and children in eight of the world's poorest countries. He returned five years later, and again in 2015. Had the United Nation’s millennium development goals made a difference to their lives?The stories he tells – in pictures and words – are unforgettable and have created a unique document, one that reveals the uncomfortable truths of a globalised planet. It is full of hope, sadness, pain, anger and beauty.Some of the women and children Nick followed died through sickness and poverty. One has become the most successful entrepreneur her African border town has ever known. Another – who once dreamed of becoming a banker – is now a gang member in the world’s murder capital. Yet another has confronted conformists and successfully changed his gender.The book will stand as a permanent record of their courage and humanity, but also as a reminder that much work still needs to be done if these goals are ever to be met. Too many people in India, Cambodia, Zambia, Uganda, Niger, Honduras, Bolivia and Armenia are still living in extreme poverty, without access to the health and education the goals were supposed to deliver.

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Book Synopsis'Intelligent, compassionate, and so fiercely, prodigiously brave. This is the essay at its creative, philosophical best' Eleanor Catton, author of The Luminaries on THE EMPATHY EXAMS A profound exploration of the oceanic depths of longing and obsession, Make It Scream, Make It Burn is a book about why and how we tell stories. It takes the reader deep into the lives of strangers - from a woman healed by the song of 'the loneliest whale in the world' to a family convinced their child is a reincarnation of a lost pilot - and asks how we can bear witness to the changing truths of other's lives while striving to find a deeper connection to the complexities of our own.

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Book Synopsis'A gripping real-life financial thriller.' CLAER BARRETT, AUTHOR OF WHAT THEY DON'T TEACH YOU ABOUT MONEY'Fast-paced and highly accessible ... A must read.' GILLIAN TETT, AUTHOR OF ANTHRO-VISION'Anybody who wants to understand the cryptocurrency mania should read Hype Machine.' LIONEL BARBER, FORMER EDITOR OF THE FINANCIAL TIMESOn 2 November 2023, in one of the largest fraud trials in history, Sam Bankman-Fried was found guilty of stealing billions of dollars from the customers of his crypto-exchange, FTX. How did this 31-year-old Californian in shorts and a T-shirt manage to become one of the most famous CEOs in the world? How did greed, fear and free money inflate the crypto bubble until it finally popped with devastating consequences for millions of people who lost money in the crash? Who were the enablers, investors and innovators who transformed the original promise of c

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisA TLS and a Prospect Book of the Year A revelatory, explosive new analysis of the military today. Over the first two decades of the twenty-first century the British Army fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, at considerable financial and human cost. Yet neither war achieved its objectives. Award-winning journalist Simon Akam questions why, and provides challenging but necessary answers. Composed from assiduous documentary research, field reportage, and hundreds of interviews, this book is a strikingly rich, nuanced portrait of one of our pivotal national institutions in a time of great stress. This is as much a book about Britain, and about the politics of failure, as it is about the military.Trade Review‘The truth about the British Army’ -- Jason Burke * The Guardian *‘A blockbuster critique … with heaps of evidence.’ -- Matthew Paris * The Times *‘Akam’s beautifully written, from the inside out, account of the British Army’s reluctance to engage with the realities of recent small wars, in Afghanistan in particular, is a must-read for every serious student of modern military history. At one level, it explains how and why we managed to turn victory over Al Qaeda in Afghanistan into defeat at the hands of the Taliban. But this book is about much more than the army in Afghanistan — it is a parable about failure, the failure of a revered institution, with a proud history and an uncritical public, to come to terms with a changed and changing world.’ -- Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, former British ambassador to Afghanistan‘Simon Akam has written a perceptive, challenging, and passionate book that looks at modern soldiering. In doing so, Akam provides an invaluable look at how the British Army works — and how the changing world in the 21st century is asking new and complex questions for soldiers and military strategy alike.’ -- Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads‘This brave, absorbing, and prodigiously well-researched tour de force renders every previous account of the British Army in its disastrous recent campaigns obsolete. Akam makes an unanswerable case that we are no longer very good at fighting wars, building his arguments with panache and good sense. In doing so he has done his country, and the army, a great service — although the Generals may not see it quite that way just yet. Put away the self-serving autobiographies and the obsequious histories of in-house academics; this is the definitive account of the British Army in its 21st Century misadventures.’ -- Frank Ledwidge, author of Losing Small Wars‘Simon Akam delivers a devastating indictment of Britain’s military chiefs for overseeing the shocking decline of the nation’s armed forces. His book is compulsory reading for every patriot.’ -- Tom Bower, biographer‘A powerful, compelling, and fascinating polemic. Essential reading.’ -- William Boyd‘A brilliant book … Gets right to the heart of so many of the British Army’s problems.’ -- Simon Scarrow, Sunday Times bestselling author of the Eagles of the Empire series‘A new book looks at the changes the British Army has undergone and roles it has played as an almost volunteer sidekick to the American military in the war on terror.’ -- CJ Chivers * The New York Times *‘Akam is an angry young man and the book is better for it.’ * The Times *‘A passionate book.’ -- Max Hastings * The Sunday Times *‘It’s compellingly written — I got through all 500-plus pages in two sittings – and it is certainly worth the effort.’ -- Adrian Weale * Mail on Sunday *‘Detailed and well structured.’ -- Anthony Loyd * New Statesman *‘Impassioned … It is a valuable addition to analysing the past, present, and future of a venerated institution.’ -- Kim Sengupta * The Independent *‘Gripping and thoroughly disheartening.’ -- Al Murray‘Simon Akam … has written a timely, elegant, and important book, The Changing of the Guard, about the British army’s failures in Afghanistan and Iraq.’ -- David Patrikarakos * The Spectator *‘Full of gripping reportage and compelling personal stories … the story he tells is profoundly important.’ -- David French * TLS *‘Akam makes many important points and reports in depth on officers’ recollections of specific episodes.’ -- Helen Parr * Prospect *‘A “state-of-the-nation” book of resounding power, deep conviction, and far-reaching significance.’ -- Richard Davenport-Hines * TLS *‘A blistering account … Akam’s research, including interviews with 260 individuals, is formidable.’ -- Richard Norton-Taylor * Declassified UK *‘Akam contends that there was as little accountability within the military hierarchy as there was outside it … The military would obviously like to avoid a close examination of this unbroken string of catastrophes, but Akam’s book is a gentle account — critical, but not unsympathetic.’ -- Tom Stevenson * London Review of Books *‘The Changing of the Guard is a major book that provides the first serious analysis of the effectiveness of the modern British Army … With a particular focus on the failure of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, he gives a brunt assessment of the Army as an institution and its role in society. There is lots of interesting material here and some relevant lessons for Australia.’ -- Jeff Popple * Canberra Weekly *‘A scathing account of the British army in the years after 9/11 … Akam has not just done his homework, interviewing 260 people, but also shows his working in 89 pages of footnotes, full of forensic detail — and delicious gossip.’ -- Shashank Joshi * Spectator Australia *‘It is a review of the British Army … It does not tell a ‘pretty’ story — rather, it is a ‘warts and all’ tale … Simon Akam has written a fine book on how and why the British Army has changed, between 2001 and 2020. For those who have seen military service, it will provide a broad picture of the conditions some soldiers have faced in the early 21st Century. For those who have not, it shows clearly the true face of war, as it is fought in this day and age, and may, possibly, be fought in the near future and within current social value sets.’ -- Rob Ellis * RUSI VIC Library *‘[In] beautifully written, evocative, and passionate prose, [Akam places] you in the boots of British soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan suddenly discovering the mission they’ve volunteered for isn’t the war they’re fighting at all … He begins asking questions at ground level, 260 interviews probing everyone from commanders, medal winners to those convicted of war crimes … This breadth of research gives Akam’s book immense power.’ -- Nicholas Stuart * The Canberra Times *‘[A] valuable and salutary read.’ * Foreign Affairs *‘The Changing of the Guard has contributed to the ongoing debate over how the British Army might change further as it enters a post-pandemic world where security challenges demand considerable flexibility of mind… Anything that provokes such self-awareness is good for institutions.’ * War on the Rocks *‘This is an unofficial oral history, created by hundreds of interviews as well as documents and personal observations by the author … This is a well written, organised and researched book … It reads well and is dynamic keeping the reader engaged … I commend Simon Akam for creating an accurate book that could be used as a Leadership discussion case study for the British Army as well as other militaries … It should become required reading at Sandhurst and the UK Joint Services Command and Staff College as well as the Defence Academy of the UK.’ -- Preston McLaughlin * Small Wars Journal *

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Book Synopsis‘China’, Napoleon once remarked, ‘is a sleeping lion. Let her sleep, for when she wakes she will shake the world.’ In 2014, President Xi Jinping triumphantly declared that the lion had awoken. From holding its ground in trade wars with the US, to presenting itself as a world leader in the fight against climate change, a newly confident China is flexing its economic muscles for strategic ends. With the Belt and Road initiative, billed as a new Silk Road for the 21st Century, China is set to extend its influence throughout Eurasia and across the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. But with the Chinese and US militaries also vying over the Pacific, does this newfound confidence put China on a collision course with the US? Combining a geopolitical overview with on-the-ground reportage from a dozen countries, this new edition of China’s Asian Dream engages with the most recent developments in the ongoing story of China’s ascendency, and offers new insights into what the rise of China means not only for Asia, but for the world.Trade Review[A] vivid and useful guide to China’s unfolding strategy and its economic and diplomatic ramifications. * ChinaDialogue *A lively work … particularly strong on the role that Chinese-backed infrastructure development will play in fulfilling [China’s regional] ambition. * Financial Times *A terrific combination of data and pavement-pounding local investigation, with discussions between academics, market traders and officials from Laos to India. * Hong Kong Review of Books *Superbly organised ... Miller deftly combines the plethora of data points and statistics with vivid local colour. * South China Morning Post *Understanding the philosophy behind China’s national aspirations will be a defining task of 21st-century diplomacy. In that vein, China’s Asian Dream will prove essential reading. * Wall Street Journal *Excellent … Tom Miller has voyaged around China’s periphery [and] his long experience of analysing the Chinese economy enables him to puncture a few over-inflated myths. * Bill Hayton, author of South China Sea: The Struggle for Power in Asia *One of the best accounts we have of what China’s rise really means for the world. * Hugh White, author of The China Choice *An indispensable guide... brimming with telling insights and arresting stories, China's Asian Dream really hits the ball out of the park. * James Kynge, Emerging Markets Editor for The Financial Times *A uniquely well informed view of the opportunities, and the huge risks, of China's bold ambitions in the region. * Kerry Brown, author of China and the New Maoists *Tom Miller tackles the central question of our time: whether China can translate its economic power into geopolitical clout, and execute its breath taking plan to dominate its Asian neighbours. * Richard McGregor, author of The Party: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers *One of the best researched volumes on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s driving vision, his ‘dream’ to return his country to the dominant position it had held in Asia since ancient times. * William R. Hawkins, Selous Foundation for Public Policy Research *A must read for those interested in whether President Xi’s reincarnated “Silk Road” will succeed in restoring the grandeur of the Middle Kingdom. * Yukon Huang, former World Bank Director for China *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Abbreviations Introduction 1. “One Belt, One Road”: Financing the New Silk Road Belt and Road Initiative Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Asia’s infrastructure arms race 2. Marching West: The Economics of Power in Central Asia Xinjiang Central Asia Russia 3. In the Heat of the Sun: Advancing Down the Mekong Laos Cambodia 4. California Dreamin’: How China “Lost” Myanmar Gateway to the Bay of Bengal 5. A String of Pearls: Fear and Loathing in the Indian Ocean Indian Ocean Pakistan India Sri Lanka 6. Fiery Waters: Mapping the South China Sea Vietnam Conclusion

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Book Synopsis''Quite simply the best and most powerful book I've read this year'' David Peace''A magnificent book . . . beautifully written and passionately argued'' Dominic Sandbrook''A remarkable eye-witness account of Russia's descent into authoritarianism and war'' Catherine BeltonA unique, personal insight into Vladimir Putin's Russia and the devastating impact his rule has had on his own people and those of neighbouring Ukraine. In 2021, BBC journalist Sarah Rainsford set out to write a book about how Russians who dared to think differently to the Putin regime were being labelled as enemies, foreign agents and even traitors. It was to chart Russia''s slide from democracy and warn of where the crushing of liberties could lead. She had experienced something of that herself when she was expelled from Moscow as a supposed ''security threat''. Then, in February 2022, Putin began his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, moving faster than

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Book SynopsisThe renowned World Press Photo Foundation (“Connecting the world to the stories that matter”) publishes a compilation of prizewinning press photographs each year. Carefully selected from thousands of entries, they present the most celebrated, powerful, moving, and often disturbing images from around the world, often putting a face on conflicts in far-flung places and reminding us of our shared humanity. The 2022 Yearbook, bringing together the best press photographs from 2021, will reflect the joy, anguish, and upheaval of this incredible year.

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Book Synopsis*Standard hardback edition*The most famous sports book in the world, Wisden Cricketers'' Almanack has been published every year since 1864. Highlights from this year''s edition include Gideon Haigh on the men''s Ashes, former England captain Mike Brearley on the captaincy of Ben Stokes, Jonathan Liew on the departure of Stuart Broad, Michael Collins on English cricket''s equity problem, as well as articles by Ebony Rainford-Brent, Emma John, Harry Pearson, Sir Hilary Beckles and many more of the world''s best sportswriters.As usual, Wisden includes the thought-provoking Notes by the Editor, the famous Cricketers of the Year awards, and the authoritative obituaries. And, as ever, there are reports and scorecards for every Test, together with forthright opinion, compelling features and comprehensive records.There can''t really be any doubt about the cricket book of the year, any year: it''s obviously Wisden. Andrew Baker in The Daily Telegraph

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Book SynopsisIncludes topics as useful and diverse as: the perils of bicycle ownership; why Australians - not Brits - need bull bars; why soon only geriatrics will be driving BMWs; the difficultly of deciding on the best car for your wedding; why Jesus' dad would have owned a Nissan Bluebird; and why it is that bus lanes cause traffic jams.Trade ReviewBrilliant...laugh-out-loud * Daily Telegraph *Outrageously funny...will have you in stitches * Time Out *Very funny...I cracked up laughing on the tube * Evening Standard *

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Book Synopsis'The late Jim Harrison was one of the true greats when it came to writing about food. He combined an attention to detail with a glorious prose style and a massive appetite... A must read.' - ObserverNew York Times bestselling author Jim Harrison was one of America's most beloved writers, a muscular, brilliantly economic stylist with a salty wisdom. He also wrote some of the best essays on food around, earning praise as 'the poet laureate of appetite' (Dallas Morning News). A Really Big Lunch collects many of his food pieces for the first time - and taps into his larger-than-life appetite with wit and verve. Jim Harrison's legendary gourmandise is on full display in A Really Big Lunch. From the titular New Yorker piece about a French lunch that went to thirty-seven courses, to pieces from Brick, Playboy, the Kermit Lynch Newsletter and more on the relationship between hunter and prey, or the obscure language of wine reviews, A Really Big Lunch is shot through with Harrison's pointed aperçus and keen delight in the pleasures of the senses. And between the lines the pieces give glimpses of Harrison's life over the last fifteen years. A Really Big Lunch is a literary delight that will satisfy every appetite.Trade ReviewThe late Jim Harrison was one of the true greats when it came to writing about food. He combined an attention to detail with a glorious prose style and a massive appetite... A must read. * Observer *A celebration of eating well and drinking even better as a recipe for the good life... If this is the last we get from Harrison, it serves as a fitting memorial. * Kirkus *[His] gusto sparkles throughout this collection of magazine essays on food... the result is a tasty nosh for foodies with a literary bent. * Publishers Weekly *A Really Big Lunch showcases Harrison's enthusiastic, funny, and uncompromising views on how to eat, drink, and live well. His tone is conversational, generous, the sort of person with whom you'd want to share a 37-course lunch that lasts 11 hours . . . His writing is bodily, bawdy, sharp. The more we have of his voice, the better. * Boston Globe *The intimacy and enthusiasm of Harrison's food correspondent style makes reading A Really Big Lunch feel like sitting at a table during a really big lunch with the best, and smartest, and most entertaining of friends. * Salon *With an introduction from Harrison's longtime friend Mario Batali, this is for Harrison fans as well as a great addition to popular food and wine collections. * Booklist *Harrison writes with enough force to make your knees buckle and with infectious zeal that makes you turn the pages hungry for more . . . Jim Harrison has staked out a distinctive place in the world of food writing. -- Jane and Michael Stern * New York Times Book Review on THE RAW AND THE COOKED *Harrison is the American Rabelais, and he is at his irreverent and excessive best in this collection. -- John Skowles * San Diego Union-Tribune on THE RAW AND THE COOKED *Jim Harrison is the Henry Miller of food writing. His passion is infectious. . . By virtue of talent, Mr. Harrison would sit at the same table as A.J. Liebling and M.F.K. Fisher. -- Jeffrey Trachtenberg * Wall Street Journal on THE RAW AND THE COOKED *Jim Harrison is the Homer, the Michelangelo, the Lamborghini, the Willie Mays, the Secretariat of words, the peak of perfection in all writing, but achieves Jimi Hendrix solo perfection when he waxes the gristle about our most primordial need and luxury. -- Mario Batali * on THE RAW AND THE COOKED *A rumination on the unholy trinity of sex, death and food, this long-awaited collection of gastronomic essays reads like the love child of M.F.K. Fisher and James Thorne - on acid. Harrison . . . writes with a passion for language equal to his passion for good food. * Publishers Weekly on THE RAW AND THE COOKED *

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Book SynopsisFrom an award-winning author comes a tale of a notorious double-murder, for readers of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, or Emmanuel Carrère's The Adversary. In 1982 Malcolm Macarthur, the wealthy heir to a small estate, found himself suddenly without money. The solution, he decided, was to rob a bank. To do this, he would need a gun and a car. In the process of procuring them, he killed two people, and the circumstances of his eventual arrest in the apartment of Ireland's Attorney General nearly brought down the government. The case remains one of the most shocking in Ireland's history. Mark O'Connell has long been haunted by the story of this brutal double murder. But in recent years this haunting has become mutual. When O'Connell sets out to unravel the mysteries still surrounding these horrific and inexplicable crimes, he tracks down Macarthur himself, now an elderly man living out his days in Dublin and reluctant to talk. As the two men circle one another, O'Connell is pushed into a confrontation with his own narrative: what does it mean to write about a murderer?Trade ReviewIn the gallery of criminals who have fascinated writers, the elegant Malcolm Macarthur is one of the most enigmatic. And in the pantheon of writers fascinated by criminals, Mark O'Connell proves himself among the most brilliant. It is one of the boundaries that cut humanity in two: those who have killed someone, those who have not. O'Connell roams around this boundary, in this grey area, from which he has brought a fascinating narrative -- Emmanuel Carrère, author of The AdversaryLike all great books, A Thread of Violence is the document of a great writer's obsession. Mark O'Connell draws the reader into a deeply engrossing story, and at the same time into a complex investigation of human brutality and of narrative writing itself. This is a superb and unforgettable book -- Sally RooneyA masterful, haunting book by an author at the height of his powers. Mark O'Connell asks us how much we can ever understand about the darkness that resides in other people, and in ourselves -- Ed CaesarA ridiculously good book. The prose is apparently knowing and smooth; the subject is anything but. Malcolm Macarthur, an infamous, ageing double murderer, exists on every page, in almost every sentence, and yet recedes continually out of reach. The effect on the reader is like being in the eye of hurricane - terrifyingly calm - the moral vortex at the heart of breathtaking violence. It's like watching dangerous dance, a folie a deux, between a deeply skilled and humane writer and a murderer with a high regard for his own etiquette. You want to chuck it across the room and then run after it and then carry on reading, as gripped as you were before -- Sam Knight, author of The Premonitions BureauStays with you for weeks. The eerie, tenuous relationship between journalist and killer lives in the legacy of Janet Malcolm and Truman Capote -- Caitlin DoughtyI read it at one sitting, so gripping was the account of Mark's conversations with a man who cannot call himself a murderer and yet killed two people utterly senselessly. The sensitivity of the work and the attention to language made this book one of the best of its kind and an example to others of how to do it -- Dr Gwen Adshead, Consultant forensic psychiatrist and psychotherapist, and author of The Devil You KnowA Thread of Violence is nourished by a powerful moral intelligence and an enormous curiosity. Mark O'Connell circles the inner life of the murderer Malcolm Macarthur with subtlety and forensic care... Complex and disturbing as well as intriguing and compelling -- Colm ToíbínIn A Thread of Violence Mark O'Connell has investigated, with immense skill and insight, the mind of a double murderer, and in the process has shown the essential mysteriousness of such a mind-perhaps of any mind. The result is a beautifully wrought narrative that is at once frightening and thrilling. A masterly work -- John Banville[A] masterpiece -- Christopher Eccleston

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Book SynopsisHow to speak of the searing, unpindownable power that the past – ours, our family’s, our culture’s – wields in the present? In five long sections, Maria Tumarkin’s Axiomatic tells true and intimate stories of a community dealing with the extended aftermath of a suicide, a grandmother’s quest to kidnap her grandson to keep him safe, one community lawyer’s battle inside and against the justice system, the effects of multigenerational trauma, and the history of the author’s longest friendship. In writing that is inventive, bold, and generous, Axiomatic is a brilliantly inventive exploration of how the past shapes our culture.Trade ReviewNew Yorker Best Books of 2019 | New Statesman Books of the Year 2020‘Maria Tumarkin’s shape-shifting Axiomatic deploys all the resources of narrative, reportage and essay. It is a work of great power and beauty.’ — Pankaj Mishra, author of The Age of Anger‘[Axiomatic] is comprised of restless, gorgeous essays, each of which uses an aphorism – “time heals all wounds,” “you can’t enter the same river twice” – to reflect on Tumarkin’s preoccupations: trauma, the ongoingness of the past, and the unworkability of language. Tumarkin takes up subjects like youth suicide and the plight of homeless people in North Melbourne, but her approach is never maudlin.’ — Katy Waldman, New Yorker ‘The work of a virtuoso ... Like Maggie Nelson’s, Tumarkin’s is the kind of writing that makes much creative nonfiction seem clumsy and rudimentary, as if everyone else is writing way too many words about smaller, pettier ideas.’ — The Believer‘Tumarkin presents a remarkable tour de force ... These essays will linger in readers’ minds for years after.’ — Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

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Book SynopsisThe book - a selection of articles, broadcasts and books extracts that revealed important and disturbing truths - ranges from across many of the critical events, scandals and struggles of the past fifty years.Trade ReviewA first-rate selection of investigative articles from some of the world's best reporters * Guardian *One of the most powerful and upsetting books I have read all year * Ecologist *A superb anthology * Glasgow Herald *Genuine objective journalism not only gets the facts right, it gets the meaning of events right. It is compelling not only today, but stands the test of time. It is validated not only by 'reliable sources' but by the unfolding of history. It is journalism that ten, twenty, fifty years after the fact still holds up a true and intelligent mirror to events -- T.D. Allman

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Book SynopsisErnest Hemingway's literary apprenticeship was served in journalism, a career that he pursued for over four decades. From his early work as a correspondent for the Toronto Star in Europe during the 1920s, through his inimitable articles for Esquire and his first-hand reports of the Spanish Civil War, to the mellow, ironic chronicle of his last African adventures, few correspondents have produced a more impressive body of work.By-Line presents a fascinating and revealing selection of Hemingway's journalism, and charts the development of one of the greatest novelists of the twentieth century.Trade ReviewReconciling literature and action, he fulfilled for all writers, the sickroom dream of leaving the desk for the arena, and then returning to the desk. He wrote good and lived good, and both activities were the same. -- Anthony Burgess

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Book SynopsisAn urgent, insightful account of the human side of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine by seasoned war reporter Tim Judah Making his way from the Polish border in the west, through the capital city and the heart of the 2014 revolution, to the eastern frontline near the Russian border, Tim Judah brings a rare glimpse of the reality behind the headlines. Along the way he talks to the people living through the conflict - mothers, soldiers, businessmen, poets, politicians - whose memories of a contested past shape their attitudes, allegiances and hopes for the future. Together, their stories paint a vivid picture of what the second largest country in Europe feels like in wartime: a nation trapped between powerful forces, both political and historical.''Visceral, gripping, heartbreaking'' Simon Sebag Montefiore''Haunting . . . timely . . . Interviewing a wide range of people who have been caught up in the recent conflict, Judah concentrates skilfully and affectingly on the human cost'' Alexander Larman, Observer ''Comes close to the master, Ryszard Kapuscinski'' Roger Boyes, The Times ''A kaleidoscopic portrait . . . Judah looks at the present - what Ukraine looks and feels like now'' Marcus Tanner, IndependentTrade ReviewHaunting . . . timely . . . Judah concentrates skilfully and affectingly on the human cost of manoeuvres in Ukraine. He seldom makes his own thoughts and opinions seem intrusive, instead letting his eloquent and compassionate subjects give a far greater insight into the horror and privations -- Alexander Larman * Observer *Tim Judah has got a lot closer to the war in eastern Ukraine than most western reporters - close enough to be able to convey vividly to readers the smells and sounds . . . His experience of the Balkan Wars of the 1990s helped Judah spot this war as it mutated from malignant propaganda into blood-spattered reality. As a reporter, he excels at letting the Ukrainians themselves do the talking. -- Niall FergusonThe strength of Judah's In Wartime lies in the depth, range and balance of his reportage and his eye for telling details. -- Tony Barber * Financial Times *Tim Judah . . . does not tell us what to think about war but instead teaches us how: with courage, humility, attention to human detail, and admirable historical intuition. -- Timothy SnyderVisceral, gripping, heart-breaking and often shocking, based on interviews with witnesses and victims on the ground, In Wartime is both astute political analysis and vivid war reportage of what's really happening in the dirty war in Ukraine by a veteran observer of the Balkan wars who truly understands the complexities and nuances -- Simon Sebag MontefioreA compelling and acute piece of contemporary reportage -- David Edgar * London Review of Books *Judah has carved out a reputation as one of Europe's best writers on the Balkans. His job description should be something like History Wars Correspondent . . . comes close to the master, Ryszard Kapuscinski -- Roger Boyes * Times *A kaleidoscopic portrait . . . Judah Looks at the present - what Ukraine looks and feels like now. He criss-crosses the country from the Russian-speaking east to the Ukrainian-speaking west. -- Marcus Tanner * Independent *A timely account . . . a vivid human portrait -- Annabelle Chapman * Prospect *Essential for anyone who wants to understand events in Ukraine and what they portend for the West. . . . Mr. Judah has written the first important book about the war in Ukraine, and it should be on the shelf of every diplomat and journalist shipping out to the region * Wall Street Journal *The historical analysis in "In Wartime: Stories From Ukraine" is deep, fastidious and detailed. Judah articulately and comprehensively explains what happened in the region during World War II, and the important connection between history and present-day violence.... rich and beautiful... an impartial account of the situation today that depicts people from all sides of the conflict in a fair and respectful way. Additionally, "In Wartime" brilliantly explains the significance of the past, covering in detail World War I and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian and Russian empires. * Chicago Tribune *A fascinating and often grim portrait of Ukraine... Judah offers a compassionate human view of these conflicts, mixing personal stories, history, politics, and reportage... This special and timely book will provide lay readers with an apt introduction to Ukraine, and specialist will appreciate its atypical yet enlightening approach * Publishers Weekly *A fascinating and often grim portrait of Ukraine... Judah offers a compassionate human view of these conflicts, mixing personal stories, history, politics, and reportage... This special and timely book will provide lay readers with an apt introduction to Ukraine, and specialist will appreciate its atypical yet enlightening approach * Foreign Affairs *Judah's book is full of detailed reporting from both Western and Eastern Ukraine-he covered the conflict with Russia for The New York Review of Books-and although he sympathizes with the attempts to strengthen the government in Kiev and repel Russian aggression, his book offers a nuanced portrait of people on all sides of the conflict. -- Isaac Chotiner * Slate *Vividly clear... A portrait of what it's like living during wartime... Judah gives a very helpful overview of Ukraine's systematic economic difficulties... Brave, thoughtful, self-effacing, and effective. -- William T. Vollmann * Bookforum *An important new book... fast-paced and very topical... Judah's expertise is appealingly ambitious in its scope... Readers won't forget the pathos and violence Tim Judah has described, and they owe him a vote of thanks for that. * Christian Science Monitor *

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Book SynopsisIn this series of sketches Dickens brings the city of London and its inhabitants vividly to life. His travels take him to the workhouse, the theatre, and further afield to the Liverpool docks and the Paris morgue. Combining autobiography with reportage, the book showcases Dickens's characteristic wit, humour, and social concerns.Table of ContentsIntroduction Note on the Text Select Bibliography A Chronology of Charles Dickens THE UNCOMMERCIAL TRAVELLER Map: Dickens;s London Appendix: Textual Variants Explanatory Notes

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Book SynopsisA unique eyewitness contribution to history on the Falklands conflict and background

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Book Synopsis***LONGLISTED FOR THE 2024 MOORE PRIZE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS WRITING***''Read this book. Don''t put it off until you''ll supposedly be strong enough and ready for the reading. If you put it off, you''ll find yourself defenseless in the face of evil.''- Svetlana Alexievich, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature and author of Chernobyl PrayerIn the darkest of times, in the midst of it all, a journalist has one single task: to document everything that is happening. It is time to slow down and listen to the voice of a human being.On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Since that day, prize-winning independent journalist Katerina Gordeeva has travelled to refugee centres across Europe to record the human voice and cost of war. Take My Grief Away reveals twenty-four raw, heartbreaking first-person accounts from people united in grief and their first-hand experiences of the brutality and senselessness of war. These twenty-four voices will transform what you think you know about war, grief and human nature.

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Book Synopsis**Longlisted for the ALCS Gold Non-Fiction Dagger****Longlisted for the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize 2022**Haunting lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned' Sunday TimesA compelling whodunnit ... Devastating' Financial TimesTransfixing' New York TimesA powerful, unflinching account of misogyny, female shame and the notion of honour' Observer___________________A masterly and agenda-setting inquest into how the deaths of two teenage girls shone a light into the darkest corners of a nation Katra Sadatganj. A tiny village in western Uttar Pradesh. A community bounded by tradition and custom; where young women are watched closely, and know what is expected of them. It was an ordinary night when two girls, Padma and Lalli, went missing. The next day, their bodies were found hanging in the orchard, their clothes muddied. In the ensuing months, the investigation into theirTrade ReviewSonia Faleiro ’s meticulously researched investigation results in a powerful, unflinching account of misogyny, female shame and the notion of honour * Observer *Faleiro’s pithy, cliffhanging chapters fuse true crime with big-picture analysis, blending data with interviews and detail ... A powerful indictment of a society failing its most vulnerable members * Economist *At once shocking and mundane, quiet and loud, understated and savage * Times Literary Supplement *Transfixing; it has the pacing and mood of a whodunit, but no clear reveal * New York Times *A puzzle with a surprise at the end ... A riveting, terrible tale, one all too common, but Faleiro’s gorgeous prose makes it bearable * New York Times Book Review *A desperate reflection on the status of women ... Faleiro has taken exceptional pains to recreate the events as they unfolded * Spectator *Traces the tragic mystery surrounding the deaths of two teenagers found hanging in an Indian mango orchard * New York Times, Recommended Reads *A compelling whodunnit ... Faleiro writes sensitively about her subjects’ actions and motivations, while the investigation reaches its final devastating revelation * Financial Times *An insightful work of reportage that highlights how gender intersects with class and caste in Indian society. It's a page-turner, a feminist text, and an essential read that is deeply empathetic towards its two main subjects who no longer have a voice -- Deepa Anappara, author of Djinn Patrol on the Purple LineA compassionate, timely and necessary book that explores the issues of sex, violence, shame, honour and what it is to be a girl growing up in modern India * Literary Review *Searing ... A riveting - sometimes astonishing - work of forensic journalism that chronicles the girls’ lives as well as the circumstances of their death * Wall Street Journal *A major piece of reportage ... Makes for tough but necessary reading * Cosmopolitan Online, 69 books by Black and POC authors out in 2021 *A stunning look at an investigation that was more about caste culture, poverty and the oppression of women than justice * People *Narrative reportage at its best. Just extraordinary -- Fatima BhuttoIn this true story of the mysterious death of two girls, Sonia Faleiro confronts us with what it means to be young, poor, powerless and most importantly, female, in much of today's India ... The Good Girls left me shattered -- Abhijit Banerjee, Nobel Prize winnerPraise for Sonia Faleiro: ‘A tour de force of reportage, whose depth, insight and resonance make it the equal of the best fiction * SUNDAY TIMES *A small masterpiece of observation … Opens up a hidden world with startling insight and intimacy -- WILLIAM DALRYMPLEFaleiro brings a novelist’s eye for detail and a depth of empathy to her work. A magnificent book of reportage that is also endowed with all the terror and beauty of art -- KIRAN DESAIDoes what every good piece of reportage ought to: took me to a place I couldn't have gone by myself -- HARI KUNZRUA tour de force of heartrending reportage ... which blends rigorous journalistic research with the narrative skills of a novelist * INDEPENDENT *[An] intimate and valuable book of literary reportage that will break your heart several times over -- DWIGHT GARNER * NEW YORK TIMES *It is useless to describe the pathos and singular power of this book * SPECTATOR *So compelling that it invites from us the question of exactly what might constitute genius in non-fiction * THE NATIONAL *Brilliant ... It's most outstanding quality to my eye is the window it offers on the widespread sexual repression that exists in India today, and the murky middle-class morality that rules it * GUARDIAN *She manages to evoke shock, rage, and laughter … A moving testament * LITERARY REVIEW *

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Book SynopsisThe Times Book of the Year pick?Smart, sobering, and scholarly. ? ? Steve Brusatte, the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of DinosaursA gripping, thought-provoking and ultimately optimistic investigation into the world?s next great climate crisis ? the scarcity of water.Water scarcity is the next big climate crisis. Water stress ? not just scarcity, but also quality issues caused by pollution ? is already driving the first waves of climate refugees. Rivers are drying out before they meet the oceans and ancient lakes are disappearing. It?s increasingly clear that human mismanagement of water is dangerously unsustainable, for both ecological and human survival. And yet in recent years some key countries have been quietly and very successfully addressing water stress.How are Singapore and Israel, for example ? both severely water-stressed countries ? not in the same predicament as Chennai or California?In The Last Drop, award-winning environmental journalist Tim Smedley meets experts, victims, activists and pioneers to find out how we can mend the water table that our survival depends upon. He offers a fascinating, universally relevant account of the environmental and human factors that have led us to this point, and suggests practical ways to address the crisis, before it?s too late.

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Book Synopsis“Black women writers and critics are acting on the old adage that one must speak for oneself if one wishes to be heard.” —Claudia Tate, from the introductionLong out of print, Black Women Writers at Work is a vital contribution to Black literature in the 20th century. Through candid interviews with Maya Angelou, Toni Cade Bambara, Gwendolyn Brooks, Alexis De Veaux, Nikki Giovanni, Kristin Hunter, Gayl Jones, Audre Lorde, Toni Morrison, Sonia Sanchez, Ntozake Shange, Alice Walker, Margaret Walker, and Sherley Anne Williams, the book highlights the practices and critical linkages between the work and lived experiences of Black women writers whose work laid the foundation for many who have come after.Responding to questions about why and for whom they write, and how they perceive their responsibility to their work, to others, and to society, the featured playwrights, poets, novelists, and essayists provide a window into the connections between their lives and their art.Finally available for a new generation, this classic work has an urgent message for readers and writers today.Trade Review“Black Women Writers at Work features conversations with 14 Black writers from across the bounds of literary form. Tate pulls together Black women playwrights, novels, poets, and essayists to compile one of the most textured collections in the 20th century. Writers like Maya Angelou, Sonia Sanchez, and Toni Morrison share space under one cover thanks to Tate’s editorial creativity. Black Women Writers at Work joins works like The Black Woman, Homegirls, and But Some of Us Are Brave as a landmark Black feminist text featuring the words of some of the most notable literary figures in the tradition.” —Baltimore Beat“When this classic collection was published in 1984, the writers Claudia Tate interviewed were engaged in the creative work that produced new Black feminist terrains. Today Black Women Writers at Work serves as a much-needed reminder that the imagination always blazes trails that lead us toward more habitable futures.”—Angela Y. Davis, author of Freedom is a Constant Struggle”This is a gorgeous and essential collection of writings from a group of the most important Black women writers. I have turned to repeatedly over the past thirty years and I'm thrilled that Haymarket has republished it for another generation to treasure.”—Imani Perry, author of Looking for Lorraine”[A] rare, rich source books for writers, readers, teachers, students—all who care about literature and the creation of it... This collection transcends its genre. It becomes a harbinger book, a book of revelation, of haunting challenge, opening on to central concerns not only of writing, but of life, of living, today.” —Tillie Olson, from the Foreword “Tate’s probing, provocative and insightful questions set a new standard for the interview as a genre.”—Valerie Smith, Princeton University

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Book SynopsisTHEY STEAL IDENTITIES.THEY BREAK THE LAW.THEY SLEEP WITH THE ENEMY.THEY ARE THE UNDERCOVER POLICE.This is the breathtaking story of forty years of state espionage revealed by award-winning journalists Rob Evans and Paul Lewis.

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERRelive the delusional fever-dream of the modern era.'Thank f*ck for Marina Hyde: the most lethal, vital, screamingly funny truth-teller of our time.'PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE'The most brilliantly funny columnist of our time.'GARY LINEKER'It's a scientific FACT: Marina Hyde is Britain's funniest writer.'CAITLIN MORANNo other writer is more suited to chronicling the absurd times in which we live.In What Just Happened?! Marina Hyde slashes her way through the hellscape of post-referendum politics, where the chaos never stops. Clamber aboard as we relive every inspirational moment of magic, from David Cameron to Theresa May to Boris Johnson. Marvel at the sights, from Trumpian WTF-ery to celebrity twattery. And boggle at the cast of characters: Hollywood sex offenders, populists, sporting heroes (and villains), dastardly dukes, media barons, movie stars, reality TV monsters, billionaires, police officers, various princes and princesses, wicked advisers, philanthropists, fauxlanthropists, telly chefs, and (naturally) Gwyneth Paltrow. It's the full state banquet of crazy - and you're most cordially invited.Drawn from her spectacularly funny Guardian columns, What Just Happened?! is a welcome blast of humour and sanity in a world where reality has become stranger than fiction.'A joyous rallying voice in British journalism.'GRAYSON PERRY'An infinite number of gag-writers, working all day in a gag factory, couldn't come up with any of the perfectly-formed one-liners that populate Marina Hyde's hilarious writing . . . But behind the wit lurks real anger, argument, exasperation and intelligence. Her writing is more than a gentle poke in the ribs: it's a well-wrought and deftly aimed smash in the teeth.'ARMANDO IANNUCCI

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Book SynopsisForty thousand people died trying to cross international borders in the past decade, with the high-profile deaths along the shores of Europe only accounting for half of the grisly total.Reece Jones argues that these deaths are not exceptional, but rather the result of state attempts to contain populations and control access to resources and opportunities. "We may live in an era of globalization," he writes, "but much of the world is increasingly focused on limiting the free movement of people."In Violent Borders, Jones crosses the migrant trails of the world, documenting the billions of dollars spent on border security projects and their dire consequences for countless millions. While the poor are restricted by the lottery of birth to slum dwellings in the aftershocks of decolonization, the wealthy travel without constraint, exploiting pools of cheap labor and lax environmental regulations. With the growth of borders and resource enclosures, the deaths of migrants in search of a better life are intimately connected to climate change, environmental degradation, and the growth of global wealth inequality.Trade ReviewFocuses helpfully on an uncomfortable and generally overlooked fact - that in recent years border control regimes have become increasingly and often horrifically militarised in many parts of the world. Physical restraints in the shape of walls and security fences have multiplied; the body count is appallingly high. For Jones, this shows that the institutions of the modern state are essentially violent. -- Rowan Williams * New Statesman *A much-needed counter to a thousand newspaper columns calling on us to secure our borders, Reece Jones' Violent Borders goes beyond the headlines to look at the deeper causes of the migration crisis. Borders, Jones convincingly argues, are a means of inflicting violence on poor people. This is an engaging and lucid analysis of a much misunderstood issue. -- Arun Kundnani, author of The Muslims Are Coming: Islamophobia, Extremism, and the Domestic War on TerrorFrom early modern land enclosures through Westphalian state formation to the current fortification of the US-Mexico frontier, Reece Jones explains what a boundary is, and how national sovereignty is being reinforced, in an age of capital mobility, by the crackdown on human movement across borders. -- Jeremy Harding, author of Border Vigils: Keeping Migrants Out of the Rich WorldI'd like an endless supply of Reece Jones' Violent Borders to hand out to all the people I meet who flirt with an anti-refugee sensibility. This book is the antidote to the world of walls that we live in, an argument for a world of humanity. -- Vijay Prashad, author of The Poorer Nations: A Possible History of the Global SouthIn an era of terrorism, global inequality, and rising political tension over migration, Jones argues that tight border controls make the world worse, not better. * Boston Globe *

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Book SynopsisTom Wolfe's debut collection of essays - a brilliant, form-bending dive into the future of America as it careened through the 1960s In 1965, Tom Wolfe dropped like a bomb onto the American literary scene with his first book, The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby, an incandescent panorama of American counter-culture, its dances, bouffant hairdos, customised cars and rock concerts. Capturing the energy of the age in its portraits of Phil Spector, Cassius Clay, Las Vegas and the Nanny Mafia – as well as asking, why do doormen hate Volkswagens? – Wolfe’s flamboyant essay collection remains one of the great, revolutionary landmarks of modern non-fiction.'Journalism, it is said, is the first draft of history. Nobody exemplifies the dictum better than Wolfe, the cultural observer and social critic par excellence' Daily TelegraphTrade ReviewYou only had to look at him… or read such books as The Bonfire of the Vanities and The Right Stuff to know that Tom Wolfe was like no other -- John Pye * The Scotsman *Journalism, it is said, is the first draft of history. Nobody exemplifies the dictum better than Wolfe, the cultural observer and social critic par excellence -- Mick Brown * Daily Telegraph *Effortlessly, elegantly, Tom Wolfe bestrode both fiction and non-fiction… a style at once objective, subjective, and hallucinatory -- Andy Martin * Independent *[Tom Wolfe’s] gleeful use of punctuation and italics, along with entertaining asides and neologisms that often quickly cemented themselves into the English lexicon, helped Wolfe stand out from other journalists * Guardian *[Wolfe] made literature fun and bores don’t like fun -- Freddy Gray * The Catholic Herald *

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Book SynopsisFrom the earliest FA Cup finals in the 1870s between teams of former public schoolboys to the glittering world of 21st-century Champions League matches contested by squads of millionaires, The Times has been at pitchside to write the history of football as it has happened.It is story of great matches: Hungary’s historic victory over England at Wembley in 1953, Manchester United’s triumph over Benfica in the 1968 European Cup final, Brazil’s thrashing of Italy in the 1970 World Cup final, Liverpool’s remarkable recovery to win the Champions League in Istanbul in 2005. It is a story of dazzling individual performances: Stanley Matthews finally winning an FA Cup winners’ medal at Wembley in 1953, Bobby Moore giving a masterclass in the art of defending for England against Brazil in the 1970 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo’s virtuoso performance as Real Madrid won the 2017 Champions League. It is a story of national highs and lows, from Wembley in 1966 when England ruled the world after defeating West Germany to the humiliation of losing to Iceland in the 2016 European Championship.But above all it is a story of great players, great managers and great personalities in a sport that grips the attention of the world like no other.

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Book SynopsisWritings on people and places, theater and film, in a portfolio of essays and photographs informing Wes Anderson's film Asteroid City. Featuring 8 newly commissioned pieces alongside more than 20 classic essays from the likes of François Truffaut and Jonas Mekas, DO NOT DETONATE explores key influences on celebrated director Wes Anderson's new film Asteroid City. Together they form a detailed, captivating portrait of the mid-century film world and the enduring myths of the American West. Contents: A Conversation Between Wes Anderson and Jake Perlin A Life excerpt - Elia Kazan The Celluloid Brassière - Andy Logan Rainy Day - Lillian Ross The Outskirts: Other Men's Women - Gina Telaroli The Petrified Forest - Jorge Luis Borges Ace in the Hole: Noir in Broad Daylight - Molly Haskell What Makes a Sad Heart Sing: Some Came Running - Michael Koresky One False Start, Never Wear the Same Dress Twice - Durga Chew-Bose Maigret at the Coroner's excerpt - Georges Simenon Sunbelt Noir: Desert Fury - Imogen Sara Smith The Voyage Down and Out: Inferno - Kent Jones Bad Day Near The River's Edge - Nicolas Saada Watching Fail Safe at the End of the World - K. Austin Collins Black Desert, White Desert - Serge Toubiana Marilyn Monroe and the Loveless World - Jonas Mekas Beyond the Stars - Jeremy Bernstein Coming: Nashville - Pauline Kael Coming Around the Mountain: Close Encounters of the Third Kind - Matt Zoller Seitz Selections from Close Encounters of the Third Kind Diary - Bob Balaban Introduction to Small Change: A Film Novel - François Truffaut By The Time I Get to Phoenix - Thora Siemsen My Guy - Hilton Als Wild to the Wild - Sam Shepard

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Book SynopsisWhen we hear the word ‘reef’ we most often think of tropical coral reefs and, indeed, those are the most diverse habitats with thousands of different species living on them. But reefs can also be found off the coast of Canada, Brazil and even further north. Off Canada’s coast there are both the Atlantic deep-water coral habitat and the Pacific rocky reef habitat. Reefs is a pictorial celebration of the hugely varied marine life on coral, rock and sand reefs all around the world. From the Great Barrier Reef off Queensland, Australia, to Mabul Island off Borneo, from east African coral reefs stretching from the Red Sea down to Madagascar to the Amazon Reef off Brazil, from the Mesoamerican Reef off Belize to Vancouver Island, the book explores how life on each reef is interdependent. The book also includes examples of how coral bleaching has killed off reefs. Arranged geographically by reef and illustrated with more than 200 colour photographs, each entry is completed with a caption explaining the magnificent natural world on display. From the gender-swapping clownfish to single-cell zooxanthellae, from coral polyps to purple starfish to harlequin shrimp and octopuses, the book is a feast of marine life.Table of ContentsContents to include: Introduction AFRICA African coral reefs – Red Sea to Madagascar THE AMERICAS Amazon Reef – Off Brazil and French Guiana. The Amazon Reef (also referred to as the Amazonian Reef) is an extensive coral and sponge reef system. It is one of the largest reef systems in the world known to exist, with scientists estimating its length to be over 600 miles (970 km) long Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park, Mexico – part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System Belize Barrier Reef – part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System Bullenbaai, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, Caribbean Tofino, Vancouver Island, Canada – Purple Starfish and green anemone PACIFIC Great Barrier Reef – Queensland, Australia – School of Sweet Lips, Lionfish Cape Tribulation, Daintree region, Queensland, Australia Lansdowne Bank, Coral Sea – between Australia and New Caledonia Apo Reef – Philippines. The world’s second-largest contiguous coral reef system. Tubbataha Reef – Philippines North Sulawesi, Indonesia – Pseudanthias Bunaken Marine National Park, North Sulawesi, Indonesia – Blue Seastar Mabul Island, Borneo, Malaysia – maroon clownfish and bubbletip anemone, jellyfish, sea slug Bohey Dulang Island, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia Miri-Sibuti Coral Reef National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia – including Soft Coral, western clownfish Minami-Tori-shima – Japan’s most easterly island French Frigate Shoals – Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

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Book SynopsisThink today's anti-abortion ideas are rooted in religious prohibitions or arguments about where life begins? Wrong: today's anti-abortion movements is largely financed and planned by far-right extremists. Many of them are avowedly fascist and white supremacist, afraid of a "great replacement" of the world's white population by other races, who are working hard to reshape governments and policies across Europe, North America and around the world. Much of this far-right organizing and funding network, however, has been overlooked by today's feminist and left movements. As investigative journalist Sian Norris uncovers here, it is through attacking abortion rights that fascist ideas from the dark web, incel chat boards, and fringe organizations comes to enter mainstream debate -- and to then shape governmental policy across Europe, from authoritarian regimes like Hungary's to liberal democracies like Britain. As Norris goes undercover at anti-abortion activist meetings, and pieces together the money trail linking American think tanks to far-right fascist groups, she maps out the pipeline by which fascism has become respectable across the Global North by taking away women's reproductive rights and autonomy.Trade ReviewWhen it comes to the critical issues shaping our society, there are journalists who try to observe and analyse from on high - and then there are journalists like Sian Norris, who throw themselves headfirst into the messy tangle of people, places and politics that matter, and do so with passion and bite. Norris is not a passive stenographer, she's a fighter for a better world and her work might just help us win one. -- Jack Schenker, author of The Egyptians and Now We Have Your AttentionA vital and sobering book. Sian Norris's reporting on reproductive rights has long been prescient, dogged, and courageous -- and in this book she gives us an unflinching portrait of quite how much women stand to lose. Her account of how abortion is positioned in our contemporary moment -- by misogyny, white supremacy, and authoritarianism -- is necessary reading. -- Katherine Angel, author of Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good AgainAttacks on abortion rights are not only assaults on women's freedom to live and love as they choose, most successfully targeting black and ethnic minority women, but they are today a key plank of the far right's drive for power. Providing a splendid call to arms, in these pages Sia^n Norris shows why the struggle to preserve women's reproductive and sexual freedoms is now fundamental to the defeat of fascistic forces globally, as well as the foundation for any fairer, progressive future for all of us. -- Lynne Segal author of Lean on MeAn incisive account of the relationship between white supremacist ideology and the attack on abortion rights. The significance, necessity, and timeliness of this book is, unfortunately, all too apparent. -- Helen Hester, co-author of After WorkA groundbreaking and definitive study of far-right misogyny and how to fight it. Norris traces the networks that are pushing bigotry into the heads of young men across the world and shows how they interact with the "respectable" right. -- Paul Mason, author of How to Stop FascismReminds us that once won, rights - all rights - have to be constantly defended. This excellent book may help do that. -- Vanessa Baird * New Internationalist *Essential reading on what has become - yet again - one of the most important battles of our times. Sian Norris is an illuminating and passionate guide to the war on women's bodies and rights - there is so much here I didn't know, and to have it all set down so lucidly makes this book as invaluable as it is engrossing. -- Marina HydeA thorough, alarmed delineation of threats to abortion rights around the world. * Kirkus Reviews *An effective clarion call against complacency. -- Mia Levitin * Sunday Times *Table of ContentsTABLE OF CONTENTSA note on languageForewordIntroductionChapter One: The Ideology: The Place of Women in Fascist ThoughtChapter Two: The Extremists: The Anti-Abortion Far RightChapter Three: The Infiltration: The Networks that Bring Extremist Right Politics Into the MainstreamChapter Four: The Allies: How (Some) Women Join the Far Right ­- from Trad Wives to Anti-Trans Chapter Five: The Money: Who is Funding the Anti-Abortion Right?Chapter Six: The Politicians: How the Far-Right Influences Governments Around the WorldChapter Seven: The Tipping Point: Which Future Do We Choose?AcknowledgementsNotes

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Book SynopsisWelcome to the favela, welcome to the rainforest, welcome to the real Brazil. This is the Brazil where a factory worker is loyal to his company for decades, only to find out that they knew the product he was making would eventually poison him. This is the Brazil where the mothers of the favela expect their sons to die as victims of the drug trade while still in their teens. This is the Brazil where the women initiated into the old Amazonian tradition of 'baby-pulling' deliver babies in their own time, far away from the drugs and scalpels of the modern hospital. In the company of award-winning journalist Eliane Brum, we meet the individuals struggling to stay afloat in a society riven by inequality and violence, and witness the resilience of spirit and commitment to life that makes Brazil one of the most complicated, most exhilarating places on earth.

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