Historiske og politiske biografier

"Howard French's The Second Emancipation stands the second half of the last century on its geopolitical head." --David Levering Lewis, winner of the Pulitzer Prize

A thrilling new history of the late Roman Republic, told through one woman's quest for justice.

Upon the fifth anniversary of the murder of George Floyd comes a landmark book on leadership, justice, and race by the first Black police chief in the history of the Minneapolis Police Department, the man who led through and beyond the crime, the historic protest movement, and the nationwide reckoning on race and policing

A lively dual biography of the two great English orators of the eighteenth century, who cultivated a friendship across their political differences.

This is a biography lightened with the intimate tone of a social memoir, about a woman who was both a bystander and protagonist through some fifty years of twentieth-century British history. Pamela Berry was the daughter of the famous and brilliant self-made politician and lawyer, F.E.Smith, the first Earl of Birkenhead, and married the son of another self-made buccaneer, William Berry from south Wales, who became Viscount Camrose and the owner of a group of national newspapers, including the Daily Telegraph. She had an unusually glamorous and precocious upbringing, spoiled by her adoring father and much photographed by Cecil Beaton, and in her prime used her position as a newspaper proprietor's wife to become the most famous political and press hostess of her generation, harnessing her beauty and wit to influence the successive governments of the day.

BY THE AUTHOR OF MULTI-AWARDWINNING #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER: THE FIVE, THE WOMEN KILLED BY JACK THE RIPPERA fascinating feminist retelling of the historical true-crime story of infamous wife-murderer Dr Crippen in Edwardian England, brought to justice by an extraordinary group of musichall women'Unbelievably addictive. Written with a unique combination of sleuthing, storytelling and compassion' LUCY WORSLEY___________No murderer should ever be the keeper of their victim's story ...On 1 February, 1910, vivacious musichall performer, Belle Elmore, suddenly vanished from her north London home, causing alarm among her circle of female friends, the entertainers of the Music Hall Ladies' Guild who demanded an immediate investigation.They could not have known what they would provoke: the unearthing of a gruesome secret, followed by a fevered manhunt for the prime suspect: Belle's husband, medical fraudster, Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen.Hiding in the shadows of this evergreen tale is Crippen's typist and lover, Ethel Le Neve - was she really just 'an innocent young girl' in thrall to a powerful older man as so many people have since reported?And what is the story behind the death of Crippen's first wife, Charlotte, who died so quietly, never to be heard of again?In this epic examination of one of the most infamous murders of the twentieth century, prizewinning social historian Hallie Rubenhold gives voice to those who have never properly been heard - the women.Featuring a carnival cast of eccentric entertainers, glamorous lawyers, zealous detectives, medics and liars, STORY OF A MURDER is forensically researched and multi-layered, offering the contemporary reader an electrifying snapshot of Britain and America at the dawn of the modern era.

The study is located in the broader frame work of rise and growth of regional parties and identity politics in India as a part and consequence of India's adopted model of state and nation building, integration and socio-economic development and transformation.

Working in Europe, across enemy lines in occupied China and in Washington D.C., Betty, Zuzka, Jane and Marlene forged letters and 'official' military orders, wrote and produced entire newspapers, scripted radio broadcasts and songs and even developed rumours for undercover spies and double agents to spread to the enemy.

The first biography to rescue the true story of Josiah Henson, restoring to history his role in the Underground RailroadJosiah Henson led a fascinating life-from the plantation fields of Maryland to the Georgetown Market to the plantations of Kentucky to escaping to freedom in Canada to being introduced to the Queen in England. Born enslaved, Henson eventually escaped and became a respected minister and famed secular leader. "My Name Is Not Tom" is a biography of Josiah Henson, the man catapulted into fame after Harriet Beecher Stowe noted that certain events in his life partially influenced the development of her fictional character Uncle Tom. While previous biographies have relied heavily on Henson's four autobiographies, which replicated the myth that he was the sole inspiration for Stowe's character, "My Name Is Not Tom" uses new primary source research to fill in the untold parts of his extraordinary life and examine his views of slavery and morality, which changed substantially over the course of his life.

Undaunted Mind tells the story of the development of Benjamin Franklin's intellect beginning with the earliest books he read as a child in Boston, his formal schooling and independent study, through his time in London, Paris, and Philadelphia, where he established himself as one of America's leading intellectuals and philanthropists. The story of Franklin's intellectual life is also the story of the friends he made in various stages of his life, so this book illuminates his circles of illustrious friends who encouraged his reading, his community improvement projects, and his scientific research.

Relaying the events of Desmond Ibbotson's short but eventful but eventful career as well as what happened next, investigating his tragic death on a routine test flight, and how he came to have two graves

A deeply researched account of the life and legacy of the man who defined the profession of private eyeAllan Pinkerton, the world's most famous private detective, has been an enduring source of fascination since the nineteenth century. But the details of his impact, business empire, and private life have been incomplete. Drawing on overlooked primary sources, Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones provides an authoritative account of the man and the Pinkerton National Detective Agency (PNDA). It is the story of how PNDA's founder and its successive generations of heirs put it at the center of American history for decades. A small sampling of Pinkerton's activities includes providing intelligence in the Civil War, pursuing high-profile outlaws like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and protecting scabs in the Homestead lockout, for which they became notorious. The book continues telling PNDA's history into the twentieth century. General readers as well as scholars of American history will be fascinated by this rich new portrait of Pinkerton's accomplishments, controversies, and contradictions.

Surviving the Odd is a rare and deeply personal glimpse into a childhood spent in the halls of one of Californias first homes for the mentally ill. With humor and an unflinching eye, Candi recounts growing up amidst psychiatric patients, a father who ran the care home like a nightclub, and a world where madness and laughter often blurred together. As she navigates through the chaos, she unearths a story of resilience, love, and the determination to find her own voice amidst the clamor of mental illness and societal disregard in the Bay Area during the 1970s.This book is an unforgettable exploration of what it means to survive in a world that often feels on the edge, wrapped in the bittersweet absurdity of a life lived between punchlines and lithium prescriptions.

The story of Joanna - princess, pioneer, captive and queen - and of the wider twelfth-century world that she inhabited.

This study of the last pagan Roman emperor provides remarkable insight into the man and his times.

Prince Harry often found himself in the shadow of his older brother, Prince William. This was especially true as the sun set over Balmoral Castle. A series of events began that would shape Prince Harry's future.The whole British monarchy and the world waited for Queen Elizabeth II's passing. But Prince Harry, who was far away, didn't make it to her side in time.As the hours passed, emotions soared and tensions within the royal family reached a boiling point. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were on a tour in Europe. King Charles told Harry not to bring Meghan to Balmoral, causing a big upset.Learning of the Queen's death online made things even harder for Harry. This event was not just a personal loss but also widened the gap in the royal family.The Sussexes had already made a big change in March 2020 by stepping down as working royals. They moved to the United States. The queen's death brought even more tension, showing the challenges faced by Prince Harry as the 'spare' heir. The absence of Prince Harry at Queen Elizabeth II's bedside during her final moments serves as a stark symbol of the growing tensions within the British royal family. This estrangement, rooted in complex personal and institutional conflicts, has been deepened by several events over the years, particularly the Sussexes' departure from royal duties.In March 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, officially stepped down from their roles as senior members of the royal family. This departure, often referred to as "Megxit," marked a profound shift in the British monarchy's dynamic. It was a move that reflected not only their desire for independence but also signified a break from royal tradition and expectations. For the royal institution, it was a public acknowledgment of the challenges of balancing personal freedom with royal duties, especially as media scrutiny continued to weigh heavily on the Sussexes.One particularly poignant moment of tension arose during Queen Elizabeth II's final days. King Charles III reportedly directed that Meghan Markle not be present at Balmoral, where the Queen was being cared for. This decision, whether driven by personal or institutional motives, only served to highlight the existing familial discord. The exclusion of Meghan from the Queen's bedside was symbolic of the deeper divides within the family, particularly between Harry and the rest of the royal institution.Perhaps the most emotionally charged detail of this strained relationship was how Prince Harry learned of his grandmother's passing. It was reported that he was informed of Queen Elizabeth II's death not through family communication, but via the internet. This underscores the poignant reality of Prince Harry's current standing in the royal family-estranged from the inner circle that once defined his life, and learning of monumental family events in the same way as the general public. Such a moment symbolizes the emotional and physical distance that has grown between Harry and the monarchy.

Mary Tudor, Henry VIII's sister, lived a remarkable life. A princess, duchess and queen, she was known as the English Rose for her beauty. Mary Tudor, Queen of France, aims to explore the life of one of the few who stood up to Henry VIII and lived to tell the tale. Henry VIII is well known, but his larger-than-life character often overshadows that of his sisters. Mary Tudor was born a princess, married a king and then a duke, and lived an extraordinary life. This book focuses on Mary's life, her childhood, her relationship with Henry, her marriages and her relationship with her husbands. Mary grew up in close proximity to Henry, becoming his favourite sister, and later, after her marriage to the French king, she married his best friend, Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk. The events impacting the siblings will be reviewed to examine how they may have changed and shaped their relationship.

The first biography and collected writings of one of the leading West Indian anti-colonialists of the twentieth century

The first translation into English of Jérémie Gallon's prize-winning contemporary biography, Kissinger, the European draws lessons from Kissinger's life and actions and discusses how they might be used to create a more coherent and stronger European foreign policy. This new English edition includes an additional chapter to the French edition, detailing the author's meeting with Kissinger in Connecticut prior to Kissinger's death and ten days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Chapters address themes, moments, and figures that shaped Kissinger's legacy, including subjects as diverse as Jewishness, football, his years at Harvard, and his close relationships with figures such as Lee Kuan Yew, Anwar Sadat, and Zhou Enlai.Gallon is as interested in the statesman as he is in the man himself, and the text reads more like a novel than an academic biography, including the most glamorous and intimate aspects of his like and making no secret of Kissinger's faults and the accusations levelled against him.At a time when Europe again faces dangerous and threatening times, Gallon argues that Europe must renew its sense of history and long-term strategic vision, and that Kissinger, whom he considers the direct heir of such European diplomats as Talleyrand, Metternich and Castlereagh, should be a principal source of inspiration.