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The Queen's Houses
by Alan TitchmarshThe Queen's life was dedicated to her public - every move was scrutinised, every word noted. But her homes were havens where peace could be found, away from watchful eyes; sanctuaries of private calm in a whirlwind life of public duty.In The Queen's Houses, Alan Titchmarsh takes us on a tour of the royal residences, examining the personal family stories behind these magnificent buildings. Through personal reflections, interviews with royal staff and meticulous historical research, Alan looks beyond the formal grandeur of Buckingham Palace, the imposing structure of Windsor Castle and the private escape offered by Balmoral and others.Illustrated with intimate family photographs and evocative memorabilia, The Queen's Houses offers a glimpse of life lived behind the state banquets and sovereign duties - a respectful study of the royal family at home.
Evelyn Prentis Bundle: A Nurse in Time/A Nurse in Action
by Evelyn PrentisDesperate circumstances were something Evelyn Prentis had to get very used to when she began her life as a nurse. It was in 1934 that Evelyn left home for the first time to enrol as a trainee at a busy Nottingham hospital in the hope of £25 a year. A Nurse in Time is Evelyn's affectionate and funny account of those days of dedication and hardship, when never-ending nightshifts, strict Sisters and permanent hunger ruled life, and joy was to be found in a late-night pass and a packet of Woodbines.The second memoir in this collection is A Nurse in Action. Surprising Matron as well as herself, Evelyn Prentis managed to pass her Finals and become a staff-nurse. Encouraged, she took the brave leap of moving from Nottingham to London - brave not least because war was about to break. Not only did the nurses have to cope with stray bombs and influxes of patients from as far away Dunkirk, but there were also RAF men stationed nearby - which caused considerable entertainment and disappointment, and a good number of marriages ...But despite all the disruption to the hospital routine, Evelyn's warm and compelling account of a nurse in action, shows a nurse's life would always revolve around the comforting discomfort of porridge and rissoles, bandages and bedpans.
Matron at Last
by Evelyn Prentis'When do you have a bath?' I asked Mrs Turgoose. 'I hope you're not suggesting that I don't look after meself properly,' she said crossly. 'There was a woman who used to use it, but that was because she was a bit stuck up. She soon went off the idea when it started to get cold.'After working as a nurse for thirty years, Evelyn left the hospital to become a full-time Matron at The Lodge - a home for elderly ladies of reduced circumstances. Evelyn was nothing like the matrons she had known and feared in the past. In spite of broken nights and hot dinners left to get cold, Mrs Peters with her temper and Mrs Harrison with her 24-hour piano playing, her new role offered a chance to make a difference to her ladies' lives. Even though it did mean she was on call twenty-four hours a day, this is Evelyn's funny and affectionate memoir of her years - at last! - as a Matron.
The Mongol Empire: Genghis Khan, his heirs and the founding of modern China
by John ManGenghis Khan is one of history's immortals: a leader of genius, driven by an inspiring vision for peaceful world rule. Believing he was divinely protected, Genghis united warring clans to create a nation and then an empire that ran across much of Asia.Under his grandson, Kublai Khan, the vision evolved into a more complex religious ideology, justifying further expansion. Kublai doubled the empire's size until, in the late 13th century, he and the rest of Genghis’s ‘Golden Family’ controlled one fifth of the inhabited world. Along the way, he conquered all China, gave the nation the borders it has today, and then, finally, discovered the limits to growth.Genghis's dream of world rule turned out to be a fantasy. And yet, in terms of the sheer scale of the conquests, never has a vision and the character of one man had such an effect on the world.Charting the evolution of this vision, John Man provides a unique account of the Mongol Empire, from young Genghis to old Kublai, from a rejected teenager to the world’s most powerful emperor.
The Revolution That Never Was
by Will HuttonWill Hutton argues that Keynesian revolution has yet to take place. Economists, he finds, have not yet come to terms with the heart of Keynes' argument: that there are limits to what prices can do in a market economy. But referring closely to Keynes' writings, Hutton demonstrates that Keynes was concerned to show how the financial sector of the economy originated and how it reinforced the incapacities of the market economy.Post-war Keynesianism, Will Hutton concludes, has overstressed the role of fiscal policy in programmes of Keynesian economic management: it is but one element in a larger policy of financial and momentary leverage aimed at leaning against these market incapacities. By insisting that government intervention is a prerequisite to the proper functioning of the market, Keynesianism in effect becomes a political philosophy challenging the entire panoply of economic and political liberalism. As such it may require important changes in the structure of government if it is to be implemented successfully.
The Monarchy: A Critique of Britain's Favourite Fetish
by Christopher HitchensAs the Duke and Duchess of Sussex bring renewed focus to the monarchy, now is the perfect time to re-examine Christopher Hitchens’s powerful polemic.In this scathing essay, Christopher Hitchens looks at the relationship of the press and the public to the royal family, unpacking the tautology and contradictory arguments that prop it up. In his inimitable style, Hitchens argues that our desire not to profane or disturb the monarchy is a failure of reason and a confusion of reality. Fealty to the magic of monarchy stops us looking objectively at our own history and hinders open-minded criticism of our present. It is time we outgrew it. With the recent birth of royal baby Archie, during a time of austerity and national inequality, Hitchens’s 10,000-word critique is even more relevant today than when it was first published in 1990. 'Christopher is one of the most terrifying rhetoricians that the world has yet seen' Martin Amis
Personal Impressions
by Isaiah BerlinThis enthusiastically received collection contains Isaiah Berlin's appreciation of seventeen people of unusual distinction in the intellectual or political world - sometimes in both. The names of many of them are familiar - Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Chaim Weizmann, Albert Einstein, L. B. Namier, J. L. Austin, Maurice Bowra. With the exception of Roosevelt he met them all, and he knew many of them well. For this new edition four new portraits have been added, including recollections of Virginia Woolf and Edmund Wilson. The volume ends with a vivid and moving account of Berlin's meetings in Russia with Boris Pasternak and Anna Akhmatova in 1945 and 1956.
Discordia: Six Nights in Crisis Athens
by Laurie Penny Molly CrabappleDISCORDIA is a story of courage and collapse in a country and a culture struggling to map out its future. A short ebook combining a 24,000-word essay with 36 detailed drawings, DISCORDIA is a feminist-art-gonzo-journalism project conceived at Occupy Wall Street and created in the summer of debt and doubt after the euphoric street protests of 2011-2012.In July 2012, artist Molly Crabapple and journalist Laurie Penny travelled to Greece. There, they drew and interviewed anarchists, autonomists, striking workers and ordinary people caught up in the Euro crisis. DISCORDIA is the result. In an impassioned climate where ‘objective’ journalism is impossible, Penny and Crabapple offer a snapshot of a nation in the grip of a very modern crisis where young and old see little reason to go on, the left is scattered and the far right is assuming greater power and influence. Along the way they drink far too much coffee, become hypnotised by street art, and somehow manage not to get arrested or mugged.DISCORDIA is an experiment in form, using the illustrated ebook format to its fullest extent to tell a story unique to the wordlength and digital platform involved. Crabapple's intricate, Victorian-inspired ink drawings lend a timeless quality to what is a conscious foray into a new kind of journalism - inspired by the New Journalism of the 1970s, in particular the art-journalism collaborations of Hunter Thompson and Ralph Steadman, but reworking that tradition for a 21st century world where young women must still fight at every turn to be taken seriously.DISCORDIA weaves together the personal and political, picking out those elements of the Greek crisis that are recognisable across the West to a generation struggling to articulate its purpose in a world of spiralling unemployment, democratic collapse and civil unrest. The solutions to the failure of modern neoliberal statecraft are very different to the 'tune in, turn on, drop out' ethos of the sixties: these days the drugs are worse and rock 'n' roll can't save us. The future is a question in search of an answer.Available only digitally, with a foreword by economic journalist and writer Paul Mason, this beautifully illustrated ebook is part-polemic, part-travelogue and part-paean to the birthplace of civilization brought to its knees. Part of the Brain Shot series, the pre-eminent source of short form digital non-fiction.'This is the Next Big Thing in journalism: digital, visual, intelligent, heartfelt, post-political, female, alarming, and engaging. It's both an honest chronicle of one corner of the collapse of a civilization, and an inspiring demonstration of the kinds of thinking, craft, and collaboration that might yet get us through.' Douglas Rushkoff, author of LIFE INC.
Hurrah For The Blackshirts!: Fascists and Fascism in Britain Between the Wars
by Martin PughBritain is celebrated for having avoided the extremism, political violence and instability that blighted many European countries between the two world wars. But her success was a closer thing than has been realized. Disillusionment with parliamentary democracy, outbreaks of fascist violence and fears of communist subversion in industry and the Empire ran through the entire period. Fascist organizations may have failed to attract the support they achieved elsewhere but fascist ideas were adopted from top to bottom of society and by men and women in all parts of the country. This book will demonstrate for the first time the true spread and depth of fascist beliefs - and the extent to which they were distinctly British.Rich in anecdotes and extraordinary characters, Hurrah for the Blackshirts! shows us an inter-war Britain on the high-road to fascism but never quite arriving at its destination.
New Life For Health: The Commission on the NHS chaired by Will Hutton
by Will HuttonThe National Health Service is Britain's greatest and most prized national institution. Ever since it's foundation the NHS has commanded extraordinary popular affection and loyalty. Its medical and non-medical staff force alike has been strongly committed to its success and values. However, now more than fifty years later, a huge gap has developed between what the NHS is able to deliver and the expectations and the needs of its users. The deterioration of the NHS dominates our news headlines today. In 1999 the Association of Community Health Councils for England and Wales established a Commission, chaired by Will Hutton, to examine the issue of the public interest and accountability of the NHS. The Commission's report has come up with some radical reforms that will transform the accountability of the NHS and will help rebuild the relationships between patients, doctors and NHS staff on a new basis of openness and trust.
Conflicts Of Interest: Diaries 1977-80
by Tony BennIn this, the fourth volume of Tony Benn’s diaries, the Labour Government continues its fight for survival. Important developments are occurring both at home and internationally. In Britain, Benn as Secretary of State for Energy is directly involved with Windscale and decisions about nuclear power and oil policy. Abroad, the Government is concerned with Carter’s reappraisal of American foreign policy, the overthrow of the Shah of Iran and problems of EEC membership.In the Labour party itself, new forces of radicalism and reform are emerging, resulting in changes in Labour’s policies and the ultimate formation of the SDP.Labour’s unsuccessful economic policy and the widening rift with the labour movement lead to the Winter of Discontent and a near state of emergency. With Labour voters defecting, the scene is set for the Thatcher years.
Common Sense
by Andrew Hood Tony BennDo we need a Monarchy? Or does it represent everything that is hidebound and stifling about Britain? The headlines tell the story: every British Institution is in crisis As a nation we have lost our way, What we have always been smugly told, is false. Our constitution is NOT the best in the world, nor is our legal system the fairest, nor is our society more open, nor are we freer than other nations. Things taken for granted are now being seriously questioned, as people realize how much of our political and economic life is outside our control. Ever since Tony Benn changed our constitution by renouncing his peerage, he has been developing the case he now outlines. His Commonwealth of Britain Bill (reproduced in the Text) is 'the first attempt to overthrow the monarchy since Cromwell' GUARDIAN. He argues for a radical overhaul of our political system, sweeping away privilege and unaccounted power and substituting for it a written constitution and democratic citizenship. Only by freeing ourselves from our historical shackles - including, but by no means only, the monarchy - can we be truly free.
Words of Command: (The Matthew Hervey Adventures: 12): immerse yourself in this brilliantly crafted military masterpiece (Matthew Hervey #12)
by Allan MallinsonOnce again, THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR Allan Mallinson captivates readers with an eminently readable piece of historical fiction. If you're a fan of Patrick O'Brian, Bernard Cornwell and CS Forester, you'll love this.'The Matthew Hervey books have a way of getting under your skin...reveals a man who is very much of his time -and one to have beside you when riding into action.' - DAILY MAIL'One for the fans, who will not be disappointed by Mallinson's winning combination of scrupulous research and derring-do...with the French in front and the Russians behind, Hervey's your man.' - THE TIMES'Leaves the reader slavering for the next instalment.' -- ***** Reader review'This is historical fiction at its very best.' -- ***** Reader review'Such a pleasure to read a well written, well edited, well researched, readable piece of historical fiction.' -- ***** Reader review******************************************************************January 1830, and one of the hardest winters in memory...The prime minister, the Iron Duke, is resisting growing calls for parliamentary reform, provoking scenes of violent unrest in the countryside.Against this inflammable backdrop Lieutenant-Colonel Matthew Hervey, recently returned from an assignment in the Balkans, takes command of his regiment, the 6th Light Dragoons. His fears that things might be a little dull are quickly dispelled by the everyday business of vexatious officers, NCOs promotions and incendiarists on the doorstep of the King himself.But it's when the Sixth are sent to Brussels for the fifteenth anniversary celebrations of the battle of Waterloo and find themselves caught up in the Belgian uprising against Dutch rule that the excitement really starts.Will Hervey be able to keep out of the fighting - a war that would lead, nearly a century later, to Britain's involvement in an altogether different war - while safeguarding his country's interests? Not likely!
Over Here and Undertaxed: Multinationals, Tax Avoidance and You
by Richard MurphyTax has rocketed to the top of the news agenda. When Amazon, Google and Starbucks were pulled up in front of the Public Accounts Committee, many were stunned at how little corporation tax they paid (if at all) in a time of austerity and government cuts. How can a tax gap of £12 billion be justified, when a CEO can take home $101 million a year? There is a growing realization that maybe we aren't ‘all in this together’, and what are Google's 'Dutch sandwich' and a 'double Irish' anyway? In this 30,000-word ebook Richard Murphy, a highly respected economic commentator and blogger, explains how we came to this situation, its origins and development after the 2008 economic crisis, who the villains of the piece are, and why. But this ebook also seeks answers and Murphy offers concrete and practical solutions in the face of growing public awareness, which politicians and companies will ignore at their peril as taxpayers vote with their feet. Part of the Brain Shots series, the pre-eminent source for high quality, short-form non-fiction.
The Good Republic
by William PalmerOpening in 1939, this novel spans 50 years and depicts the central character's life as a political emigre in a run down part of London. He is invited to return to his home city by the renascent nationalist movement where he learns the price of remaining an "innocent" in history.
Modern Tragedy
by Raymond WilliamsIn Modern Tragedy, Williams bridges the gap between literary and socio-economic study, tracing the notion of tragedy from its philosophical and dramatic origins with Aristotle. In addition, Williams discusses tragedy in Chaucher, Nietzche, Brecht, Sartre and other leading figures in the history of thought, as well as elements of tragic experience – both political and personal - in socialist revolutions of the 20th century.
Loyalties
by Raymond WilliamsWhat is loyalty? What is treachery? What does it mean to find that one of your friends is a spy? Loyalties traces the fortunes of a group of friends, some from the Welsh valleys, some from Cambridge, from the Spanish Civil War to the 1984 miners' strike, combining the tension of a first-class thriller with a brilliant analysis of our age.
The Apollo Deception
by Mitch SilverGary Stephens is brought into a government-sanctioned cover-up when he discovers that his father helped fake the Apollo 11 moon landing in the 1960s. After China announce a space mission to place their own flag next to the one US astronauts planted during the Apollo 11 mission, few people bat an eyelid. Shortly after this statement Charlie Stephens, a 81-year-old former filmmaker, is murdered. The incident is made to look like an accident, but why? Going through his father’s effects, Gary Stephens – a director of beer and yogurt ads – discovers seven cans of old 35mm film. Dated before the landing, they’re identical to the footage NASA claims was shot by the Apollo 11 crew. The US flag is not and has never been in the Sea of Tranquillity, and only Tricky Dick and a handful of others knew it. Why was the real nature of the Apollo 11 mission kept hidden? And what measures will be taken to keep the secret buried?
Elixir
by Charles AtkinsDr Frank Garfield has found a cure for cancer, but cut-throat businesses are looking to profit on the research and don't care who they trample over to do so. Paediatric oncologist Dr Frank Garfield has discovered a genetic cure for cancer that can save his young patients. But his mentor, Nobel Prize laureate Dr Jackson Atlas, believes his research is like blood in the water for profit-hungry drug companies that will twist and weaponize it. UNICO Pharmaceuticals CEO Leona Lang is desperate to find a new product, and Frank's formula could be the answer. But Jackson is an obstacle. Dalton Lang, Leona's sociopathic son, has been tasked with seducing Frank into joining UNICO. His first steps are to eliminate Jackson and make it look like a burglary. With Jackson gone, will Frank be persuaded to join UNICO or let his research, which could blow apart the cancer industry, die? The lives of innocent children hang in the balance. Frank can save them . . . but at what cost?
The Second Amendment: The Right To Bear Arms (Amendments To The United States Constitution: The Bill Of Rights)
by Larry GerberThe United States has the most guns per capita of any country in the world. Many Americans value the right to bear arms, which they believe is guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the Constitution. Others believe that the Second Amendment only guarantees the right for organized militias to own guns. This book surveys the history of the Second Amendment and gun ownership in the United States, and explores how the amendment continues to affect us today.
The Third Amendment: Upholding The Right To Privacy (Amendments To The United States Constitution: The Bill Of Rights)
by Jason PorterfieldThe Third Amendment guarantees that soldiers cannot be quartered with U.S. citizens during times of peace. At the time of its passage, this amendment made a significant difference in the lives of American citizens. It formed a separation between Americas military and its civilians. Although seldom cited today in court cases, the Third Amendments impact has been long lasting, and has given rise to military bases all over the country. This book richly explores the amendment and its history. Fascinating sidebars and photographs support the text.
Fourth Amendment: Unreasonable Search And Seizure (Amendments To The United States Constitution: The Bill Of Rights)
by Dean GalianoThe Fourth Amendment states that American citizens have the right to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and belongings against unreasonable searches and seizures. This was not always the case. The Founders had to overcome great obstacles-fighting for American independence and ratifying the Constitution and the Bill of Rights-to provide these rights. <P><P>This book outlines that arduous journey, and then focuses on the Fourth Amendment's impact on modern American life and the role of the Supreme Court in safeguarding those protections. Sidebars highlight the amendment in action and zero in on the details of Supreme Court cases. It concludes with an examination of the impact of technological advances on our privacy and features a list of all the Amendments to the Constitution, including those proposed, but unratified.
The Fifth Amendment: Double Jeopardy, Self-incrimination, And Due Process Of Law (Amendments To The United States Constitution: The Bill Of Rights)
by Corona BrezinaThe Fifth Amendment is the longest amendment in the Bill of Rights, so this book begins by breaking down each clause one-by-one, explaining the legalese in uncomplicated language, thus allowing the reader to reach a full understanding of due process. It then explains the ratification process of the Bill of Rights and systemically describes the impact of the Fifth Amendment clause by clause, using Supreme Court cases as real-world examples. Sidebars highlight the amendment in action and delve into finer points, such as the Fourteenth Amendment s impact on the Fifth and the McCarthy era. This book features a list of all the Amendments to the Constitution, including those proposed, but unratified. A rich resource section allows for further exploration.
Sixth Amendment: The Rights Of The Accused In Criminal Cases (Amendments To The United States Constitution: The Bill Of Rights)
by Therese SheaOne of the hallmarks of the American criminal justice system is the right of all people accused of a crime to defend themselves in a speedy, public trial. According to the Sixth Amendment, individuals accused of crimes have a number of important rights, including: the right to a jury of their peers, the right to be informed of the charges against them, the right to an attorney and witnesses in their defense, and the right to face their accuser. <P><P>This book reviews the history of the Sixth Amendment, including the events that inspired it and the major Supreme Court cases related to it. In a concise and interesting way, the author explains the unalienable rights that are at the heart of our justice system.
The Seventh Amendment: The Right To A Jury Trial (Amendments To The United States Constitution: The Bill Of Rights)
by Kathy FurgangWhile jury trials in criminal cases are recognized as vitally important to safeguarding the Constitutional rights of the accused, the right to a jury trial in civil cases is a less understood, celebrated, and valued right. This book is an invaluable reminder of just how important the Seventh Amendment is to the promotion and preservation of fairness and justice in America. By entrusting a jury of ordinary and impartial citizens to decide the outcome of lawsuits, the framers of the Constitution and Bill of Rights removed the power from the judges, who could potentially be swayed and corrupted. The Seventh Amendment levels the playing field, guaranteeing that a citizen's voice and interests carry as much weight as that of a wealthy individual, major corporation, or powerful government. The historical context that motivated the drafting and passage of this amendment is discussed, as is the evolution of civil law, jury trials, and the application of the Seventh Amendment in American history, from colonial times to the present. Contemporary, straight from the headlines cases-including Toyota's recent woes-illustrate the relevance of the Seventh Amendment and its application to cases involving consumer protection, environmental cleanup, medical malpractice, and corporate wrongdoing.