Search results for ""Author David Ramsay""

To those who think they know what George Orwell is all about, this book unpacks surprise after surprise. Orwell Your Orwell reveals an Orwell very different from the one most people think of. It gives an unexpected yet convincing picture of Orwell’s beliefs, every key point precisely documented. Orwell adopted a habitual rhetoric in which he portrayed himself as a lone, embattled dissident. But objectively examined, his opinions broadly corresponded with those of conventional leftwing thinking. Far from being skeptical of prevailing orthodoxies, Orwell emerges as a True Believer in the orthodoxies of the 1930s Left, though a believer who sharply drew attention to some of the serious problems with these ideologies. In his short life, Orwell underwent several dramatic conversions – such as his overnight switch in August 1939 from being fiercely anti-war to enthusiastically pro-war – while cleaving to some fixed positions – such as his opposition to the British Empire, totalitarianism, and birth control. Dr. Steele identifies both the conversions and the continuities, as well as some aspects of his thought which gradually evolved. As well as recovering Orwell’s actual beliefs from the many accumulated misrepresentations, Dr. Steele also criticizes some of these beliefs, exposing the fallacies in Orwell’s thinking on such issues as the economics of imperialism, the dangers of hedonism, the significance of the Spanish Civil War, and the efficacy of mind control.Reviews: “This is an absolutely dazzling book on Orwell, casting a brilliant new light, not just on Orwell himself, but on the entire intellectual history of our time. It is a ‘must read’, not just for devotees of Orwell, but for anyone concerned with discussions of socialism and capitalism, totalitarianism and democracy, ideological passion and intellectual honesty. It will prove a superb teaching aid at both undergraduate and graduate levels.”—Yuri Maltsev, co-author of The Tea Party Explained and editor of Requiem for Marx “There has always been some mystery about how Orwell could give us the nightmare world of Ingsoc (English Socialism) while himself remaining an unrepentant English Socialist. This and other puzzles about Orwell are convincingly solved in Dr. Steele’s masterly account. If you want to know what made Orwell tick, you just have to read this eloquent, provocative, and hugely entertaining book.”—Barry Smith, Director of the National Center for Ontological Research and author of Austrian Philosophy

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Admiral Sir Reginald 'Blinker' Hall, the Director of Naval Intelligence (DNI) for most of the First World War, described as 'a genius in his own sphere and brilliantly successful', was one of the outstanding if largely unrecognized naval leaders of that war. Naval intelligence’s ability to read and analyse German naval and diplomatic signals on a daily basis was a significant factor in the allied victory. The Germans never realized that their codes had been broken. The revelation of the Zimmermann Telegram, surely one of the most exciting and significant events in the history of intelligence, astutely handled by Hall, was the catalyst that brought America into the war in April 1917. The German unrestricted submarine warfare campaign was then coming dangerously close to cutting Britain's supply routes. The effective interface between intelligence and operations, instituted by Hall and the anti-submarine chief, Admiral Duff, together with the introduction of convoy and with the Royal and US Navies working successfully together, resulted in the defeat of the U-boats. Hall’s dynamic leadership, talent for lateral thinking and force of personality were essential to these successes. Above all he was endowed with the guile and ruthlessness which kept him one step ahead of a formidable and determined enemy and their widespread espionage and subversion operations. In Blinker Hall: The Man who Brought America into World War I, David Ramsay examines this fascinating man and his invaluable legacy.‘Gripping… This book is highly recommended, not only to intelligence buffs but to all with an interest in history and, indeed, in the workings of the international scene.’ - The Naval Review

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Two historians--one American and one British--examine the ways in which rivalries and personality conflicts among Allied commanders adversely affected the D-Day invasion and its aftermath. In anticipation of the 75th anniversary of D-Day comes this fresh perspective on the Normandy invasion -- -the beginning of the end of World War II. The book highlights the conflicting egos, national rivalries, and professional abilities of the principal D-Day commanders who planned and executed the OVERLORD Operation and its aftermath. Two historians, one American and one British, show how lack of cooperation and bad decisions lengthened the war, increased casualties, and allowed the later Soviet domination of Eastern Europe. From their in-depth analysis of past D-Day literature, primary and archival sources, the authors provide insightful answers to the many controversies that have long surrounded the OVERLORD campaign. Among the questions addressed are: What caused the two-month delay for the Allied breakout from the Normandy beachhead. Why did the bulk of the German army escape from the Falaise Pocket? Who stopped Patton's August 1944 advance into Germany? Why did it take so long to open the Port of Antwerp needed for securing the required supplies for the Allied advance into Germany? The evidence presented in this book makes it clear that the problems raised by these questions and many other difficulties could have been avoided if the Allied commanders had been less contentious, a factor that sometimes led to catastrophic battlefield outcomes. Complete with maps that illustrate the campaign's progression and photographs of the commanders and the forbidding battlefield terrain, this new examination of the war in Europe makes a major contribution to our understanding of the decision-making behind these pivotal historic events.

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Seven of the twentieth century's greatest thinkers describe how they arrived at the ideas for which they are known. In their own words, universally admired intellectuals such as Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Einstein. Bertrand Russell, and Martin Buber trace the paths that led to their contributions in the field: A.J. Ayer shares what led to the logical positivist manifesto Language, Truth, and Logic and his subsequent retreat from and criticism of those early ideas, analytic philosophy founder Bertrand Russell's acerbic wit and self-deprecating manner are omnipresent in his narrative describing his intellectual development from childhood on. These carefully selected personal stories provide readers with a broad survey of the intellectual achievements of the 20th century, through the words and reflections of the thinkers themselves. Of interest to any reader curious about the nature of genius and how great minds work, this book is a window into the private world of an intellectual working toward ideas that have defined our time. The seven great thinkers are: A.J. Ayer; Martin Buber; Albert Einstein; Hans-Georg Gadamer; Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan; Bertrand Russell; Jean-Paul Sartre

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