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Memories of Margaret Thatcher: A Portrait, By Those Who Knew Her Best
by Iain DaleMargaret Thatcher is a British icon. There is no denying her place in history as Britain's greatest peacetime Prime Minister. The reaction to her death confirms that twenty-three years after leaving office she still bestrides the political scene, both in Britain and around the world, like a colossus. Margaret Thatcher was elected to Parliament in 1959. Twenty years later she became Britain's first woman Prime Minister. She achieved two further landslide election victories, making her the longest-serving British Prime Minister since Lord Liverpool. She resigned in November 1990 after eleven-and-a-half years at the pinnacle of British politics. Memories of Margaret Thatcher brings together over 200 personal reminiscences and anecdotes from those who - whether political friends or opponents, observing her from the press gallery or toiling to keep her flame alight in the constituencies - experienced close encounters with the Iron Lady. They include, among others, Ronald Reagan, Helmut Kohl, Norman Tebbit, Cecil Parkinson, Matthew Parris, Michael Howard, Paddy Ashdown, Adam Boulton, Lord Ashcroft, Sebastian Coe, Boris Johnson, Ann Widdecombe, William Hague, Sir Bernard Ingham, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Esther Rantzen, Dame Ann Leslie, David Davis, Liam Fox and many more. Amusing, revealing, sympathetic and occasionally antagonistic, these observations combine to give a unique portrait of the political and personal life of a remarkable woman. They show the deeply private and compassionate nature of a woman who will forever be known as the Iron Lady.
Conundrum: Why Every Government Gets Things Wrong - And What We Can Do About It
by Richard BaconGovernment failure is affecting everyone. The single mum worried sick by a tax credit demand from HMRC to 'repay' thousands of pounds she never received; the family whose holiday was ruined because the Passport Office couldn't issue passports in time; the school that couldn't open at the start of term because CRB checks were being carried out by an organisation in meltdown; the farmers led to bankruptcy and even suicide by a Kafkaesque system for administering farm payments; and rail operators facing an uncertain future because the Department for Transport inadvertently landed the whole rail franchising system in chaos. Why is government getting it so wrong? Richard Bacon and Christopher Hope delve into the astonishing world of cock-ups and catastrophes and ponder why those at the top continue to fall short.
The Bletchley Park Codebreakers: How The Bletchley Park Codebreakers Helped Win The War (Dialogue Espionage Classics Ser.)
by Michael SmithThe British codebreakers at Bletchley Park are now believed to have shortened the duration of the Second World War by up to two years. During the dark days of 1941, as Britain stood almost alone against the the Nazis, this remarkable achievement seemed impossible. This extraordinary book, originally published as Action This Day, includes descriptions by some of Britain s foremost historians of the work of Bletchley Park, from the breaking ofEnigma and other wartime codes to the invention of modern computing, and its influence on Cold War codebreaking. Crucially, it features personal reminiscences and very human stories of wartime codebreaking from former Bletchley Park codebreakers themselves. This edition includes new material from one of those who was there, making The Bletchley Park Codebreakers compulsive reading.
The Emperor's Codes: Bletchley Park's role in breaking Japan's secret cyphers
by Michael SmithThe extraordinary wartime exploits of the British codebreakers based at Bletchley Park continue to fascinate and amaze. In The Emperor's Codes Michael Smith tells the story of how Japan's wartime codes were broken, and the consequences for the Second World War. He describes how the Japanese ciphers were broken and the effect on the lives of the codebreakers themselves. Using material from recently declassified British files, privileged access to Australian secret official histories and interviews with British, American and Australian codebreakers, this is the first full account of the critical role played by Bletchley Park and its main outposts around the world.
Operation Garbo: The Personal Story of the Most Successful Spy of World War II (Dialogue Espionage Classics Ser.)
by Juan Pujol García Nigel West Nigel WestHe was GARBO to the Allies and ALARIC to the Germans – the most successful double agent of the Second World War. Indeed, his spy network across Britain was so highly regarded that he was decorated for his achievements … by both sides.Throughout the war, GARBO kept the Germans supplied with reports from his ring of twenty-four agents. Hitler’s spymasters never discovered or even suspected a double-cross, but all the agents in GARBO’s network existed solely in his imagination.In one of the most daring espionage coups of all time, GARBO persuaded the enemy to hold back troops that might otherwise have defeated the Normandy landings on D-Day; without him, the Second World War could have taken a completely different course.For decades, GARBO’s true identity was a closely guarded secret. After the war, he vanished. Years later, after faking his own death, Juan Pujol García was persuaded by the author to emerge from the shadowy world of espionage, and in this new edition of his classic account, now updated to include his agents’ original MI5 files, GARBO reveals his unique story.
The State We Need: Keys to the Renaissance of Britain
by Michael MeacherAt a time when great issues are crying out for resolution - financial and economic stagnation, an increasingly polarised society, global paralysis over climate change, and spiritual emptiness and loss of vision throughout the West - politics is dominated by spin and manipulation. Too many people feel confused, cynical and angry ... and poorly represented by a remote political elite in Westminster. Despite the crash, that elite are still clinging to the same old ideas that have been tried and found wanting; we're still being told that we're not allowed to think outside the box of Thatcher's capitalism. This book opens up a whole new vista - one that is radical but also practical. It presents a different model for business, a restructured banking system, an alternative economic policy, a reconfigured power structure, an industrial policy geared to the revival of manufacturing, a sharply different approach to employment and welfare, as well as inequality in society, and a fundamental reassessment of the handling of climate change. The State We Need answers the cry of the alienated many. It delivers a full analysis of the problems facing the British state, and offers the comprehensive, resonating vision of Britain for which we've all been waiting.
At Power's Elbow: Aides to the Prime Minister from Robert Walpole to David Cameron
by Andrew BlickDiscreet, inconspicuous, prudent... The perfect prime-ministerial aide is always in the background, a low-profile figure unknown outside the Westminster bubble. Unfortunately, reality often falls short of the ideal; for as long as the office of Prime Minister has existed, its occupants have been supported by a range of colourful individuals who have garnered public interest, controversy and criticism. At Power's Elbow tells their story for the first time, uncovering the truth behind three centuries' worth of prime ministers and their aides. Its subjects range from the early media-managers and election-fixers of Sir Robert Walpole, to the teams supporting the wartime premierships of David Lloyd George and Winston Churchill, to the semi-official 'Department of the Prime Minister' established under Tony Blair. Along the way, Andrew Blick and George Jones demonstrate how these essential advisers can be a source of both solace and strife to their chiefs, solving and causing problems in almost equal measure. Above all, they reveal how a Prime Minister's approach to his staff can define his premiership, for better or for worse.
When Reporters Cross the Line: The Heroes, the Villains, the Hackers and the Spies
by Stewart Purvis Jeff HulbertWhen Reporters Cross the Line tells the true story of moments when the worlds of media, propaganda, politics, espionage and crime collide, casting journalism into controversy. Its pages feature some of the best-known names in British broadcasting, including John Simpson, Lindsey Hilsum and Charles Wheeler. There are men and women who went beyond recognised journalistic conventions. Some disregarded the code of their craft in the name of public interest; some crossed the line in ways that had truly shocking consequences. Many of the details have been kept as closely guarded secrets - until now. This unique account of modern reporting examines the lengths to which journalists on the front line are prepared to go to get a story or to espouse a cause. Journalistic heroes and villains abound, but certain of those heroes were flawed, and some of the villains were surprisingly principled. In the heat of war and political conflict, boundaries are ignored and ethics forgotten - and not just by opposing armies. In this extraordinary book, Stewart Purvis and Jeff Hulbert offer unparalleled access to the minds of reporters and to the often disturbing decisions they make when faced with extreme situations. In doing so, it hammers home some unpalatable truths, posing the fundamental question: where do you draw the line?
Shirley Williams: The Biography
by Mark PeelFor fifty years Shirley Williams has been one of Britain's best-known and best-loved politicians, admired for her warmth, sincerity, integrity and compassion. Hailing from an impeccable intellectual background, the young Shirley seemed destined for great things as she rose effortlessly up the political ladder. Yet for all the talk of her becoming the country's first female Prime Minister that accolade passed her by, her feisty independence earning her a career that has been anything but perpetual sunshine. In this first-ever biography, Mark Peel explores the dilemma that has faced Williams throughout the highs and lows of her political life: how to tread the line between firmly held principles and party solidarity. Drawing on his unfettered access to the family archive and conversations with Williams's colleagues, Peel skilfully teases out the contradictions at the heart of this remarkable character. Shirley Williams: The Biography reveals the surprisingly vulnerable figure behind the reassuring public façade. It uncovers the expectations placed on Williams by her highly ambitious parents, her guilt about her privileged background, and her often tumultuous personal relationships. The result is a touching, intimate portrait of one of the most complex and popular politicians of our time, a woman who through good times and bad has retained her essential humanity.
Pets by Royal Appointment: The Royal Family and their Animals
by Brian HoeyThe royal family say they can do without many things, but not their animals. Countless monarchs and their consorts have relied on dogs, cats, horses and even the occasional parrot to act as their constant, faithful companions, unquestioning allies and surrogate children.With intimate anecdotes and fascinating detail, royal author Brian Hoey describes the mini palaces provided for the Queen’s pampered corgis, Princess Anne’s badly behaved bull terriers and the wild animals – including crocodiles, hippos and an elephant – presented to princes and princesses.Exploring a seemingly eternal regal passion for all things canine and equine, Hoey also turns his attentions to the modern royal family’s love of animals, celebrating the latest arrivals to both William’s and Harry’s new households.From the corgi dynasty to the Jack Russells rescued from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, Pets By Royal Appointment presents a very British family besotted with all creatures great and small.
The Dictionary of Labour Quotations
by Stuart ThomsonAnyone who has an interest in Labour or the left needs a copy of this brilliant compendium of left-leaning quotations. The collection features all the best quotes from all the great thinkers, whether they were reactionary or revolutionary, campaigning or policy-making, thinking aloud or writing it all down. The likes of Marx, Miliband, Attlee and Aristotle stand side by side in this neat reference guide, where you'll find the best of Brown, Blair and Balls along with all that Rousseau, Robespierre and Russell had to say. The Dictionary of Labour Quotations brings together insights, remarks, retorts, wit and wisdom, making it essential reading for everyone with a passion for the Labour Party, socialism or the left side of politics.
The Dictionary of Liberal Quotations
by Duncan BrackIf you're a liberal or a democrat, and especially if you're a Liberal Democrat, this masterful and considered collection of thought-provoking quotations should belong to you. All the great Liberals are packed into this slick reference guide, from Gladstone to Ashdown, Kennedy (John F.) to Kennedy (Charles). Whether you're looking for John Stuart Mill or John Maynard Keynes, you'll be able to find every good quote there is on Liberals and Liberalism. Writers, thinkers, journalists, philosophers and even the politicians themselves contribute with nearly 2,000 utterances, musings, provocations, jibes and diatribes featured in The Dictionary of Liberal Quotations, making this guide a musthave for anyone interested in Liberals and Liberal thought.
The Dictionary of Conservative Quotations
by Iain DaleYou'll need this thoughtful and entertaining assembly of conservative quotations if you're at all keen on politics. With more than 2,000 key quotes, this authoritative collection contains all the best conservatives and their sayings, whether they were standing up for what's right or standing up to the left, showing off their wit or showing that their foes were witless. It's got all the big names: everyone from Aquinas to Bagehot, Churchill to Cameron, Shakespeare to Thatcher. In The Dictionary of Conservative Quotations you'll find humour (Quayle) and inspiration (Burke), political punches (Hague) and ancient wisdom (Aristotle), all wrapped up into one slick, easy-to-use compendium. This book makes a vital reference source for anyone who cares for politics or the Conservatives and is a must-have for everyone with an interest in conservative thought.
Saving Gary McKinnon: A Mother's Story
by Janis SharpThe ordinary lives of Gary McKinnon and his mother Janis changed dramatically one morning in 2002 when police interviewed Gary about hacking into US government computers. Three years later, on 7 June 2005, he was arrested. Extradition seemed certain and so, fearing that Gary would take his own life rather than be taken away, Janis began her extraordinary battle. Facing up to sixty years' incarceration, Gary was vilified by the authorities, who described his actions as 'the biggest military computer hack of all time'. The truth was rather less dramatic - Gary was searching for signs of UFOs. When he discovered that thousands of NASA and Pentagon computers had no passwords or firewalls he started to leave notes warning that their security was deeply flawed. It was only in 2008 after a TV interview that an expert in autism phoned Gary's solicitors and said he was sure that Gary was suffering from Asperger's syndrome. The stakes were now even higher. The US judiciary had all the might of the world's greatest power. But it had not reckoned on Gary's mother. This is the story of how one woman squared up not only to the Pentagon but also to the British judicial and political systems. It is a book about a mother who took on the world and won.
My Week*: *According to Hugo Rifkind: The Secret Diary of Almost Everyone
by Hugo RifkindIn 2006, as the gossip columnist for The Times, Hugo Rifkind realised it would be much easier to do his job if he could make all the stories up. So he did. For years now, Rifkind's hilarious 'My Week' column has satirised anyone foolish or unfortunate enough to make headlines that week, entertaining politicos and casual readers alike. Each column acts as a fictional diary, parodying the musings of its target (and friends) for five days' worth of comic value. Oprah, Bieber, Berlusconi (the gift who keeps on giving), Cameron, Clarkson, Obama, Mother Miliband and a Pic'n'mix shovel are just a few of those on his eclectic list of ill-fated victims. After much badgering from loyal fans, Rifkind has finally hand-selected his best, funniest and most poignant, here presented with new introductions. None are spared in this comical compilation, and readers old and new will delight in the satirical skewering of some of our most famous (and infamous) figures.
Everybody's Business: The Unlikely Story of How Big Business Can Fix the World
by Jon MillerSometimes it seems as if business exists purely to enrich a small elite. While the world is facing unprecedented challenges, it appears that businesses are only interested in making profits or paying bonuses. Big businesses are powerful machines. We all know they have the potential to cause enormous social and environmental harm; but with their resources and expertise they can also be great engines of positive change. Rather than fighting the power of business, should we be seeking to harness it? Everybody's Business is a journey through the business world. We meet the companies that are driving business forward by mobilising to tackle the challenges we all face. At its heart, this is a story of businesses doing what they do best: delivering products and services that people need, creating jobs and finding new ways to solve old problems. It's a story of people taking the initiative, and finding inspiration in the positive impact of their actions. We see how some of today's leading companies are realising that lasting success comes from having a purpose broader than making a profit. They know that business should benefit customers, employees, suppliers, neighbours and the wider world, as well as shareholders. Enduring value comes from making business work for everybody.
The Battle for Britain: Scotland and the Independence Referendum
by David TorranceOn 18 September 2014, Scots will decide their future: should the country quit the United Kingdom and take control of its own destiny, or should it remain part of what advocates call the most successful political and economic union of modern times? Everyone in the country has a stake in this decision. Now, in this fascinating and insightful new book, David Torrance charts the countdown to the big day, weaving his way through a minefield of claim and counterclaim, and knocking down fictions and fallacies from both Nationalists and Unionists. He plunges into the key questions that have shaped an often-fraught argument, from the future of the pound to the shape of an independent Scottish army. With access to the strategists and opinion-makers on both sides of the political divide, this book goes straight to the heart of the great debate, providing an incisive, authoritative, occasionally trenchant guide to the most dramatic constitutional question of our times - the battle for Britain.
These Few Precious Days: The Final Year of Jack with Jackie
by Christopher AndersenGlamour, power, sex, money. The makings of an iconic love story - or a doomed passion? Bestselling biographer Christopher Andersen casts aside the rumours, the speculation and the conspiracy theories, and takes us on an intimate journey into the heart of the Kennedys' marriage. With consummate skill, Andersen uncovers startling new facts about their affairs - hers as well as his - with the famous, the notorious and the anonymous; he reveals alarming information about the First Couple's shared dependence on amphetamines and the White House's battle to keep their secret; and he unearths fresh details about the assassination and its aftermath, including Jackie's bout with suicidal depression. Extraordinary in its scope, powerful in its insights, These Few Precious Days paints an unsparing yet sympathetic and touching portrait of Mr and Mrs JFK in their final year together. This is the ultimate presidential love story in all its frustrating, complicated, bittersweet glory.
The Little Green Book of Eco-Fascism: The Plan to Frighten Your Kids, Drive Up Energy Costs and Hike Your Taxes!
by James DelingpoleDo you believe we should bomb our economy back to the dark ages? Carpet our beautiful countryside with bat-chomping, bird-slicing eco-crucifixes? Indoctrinate our kids with scary North Korea-style propaganda nonsense in order to deal with the alleged perils of 'climate change'? Neither does James Delingpole, author, polemicist, drowner of baby polar bears. From acid rain, food miles and the 'vanishing' Maldives to ocean acidification, fracking and the celebrity wankerati, Delingpole's characteristically witty, snarky, no-prisoners A to Z presents all that is wrong, funny and downright insane about the green movement - and gives you the ammunition you'll need to counter the great environmental myths of our brainwashed age.
The Welfare State We're In
by James BartholomewThe welfare state is one of Britain's crowning achievements. Or is it? In this seminal book, now studied in universities in Britain and elsewhere, James Bartholomew advances the sacrilegious argument that, however well meaning its founders, the welfare state has done more harm than good. He argues that far from being the socialist utopia the post-war generation dreamed of, the welfare state has led to avoidable deaths in the NHS, falling standards in schools, permanent mass unemployment and many other unintended consequences. At a deeper level, he contends that the welfare state has caused millions to live deprived and even depraved lives, undermining the very decency and kindness which first inspired it. This landmark book changed the way many people think about the welfare state. It played a major role in the political debate that led to recent reforms. Now with a new introduction by the author assessing the value of these reforms, this classic text still shocks with the power of its arguments and the weight of its supporting evidence.
Smersh: Stalin's Secret Weapon
by Dr. Vadim BirsteinSMERSH is the award-winning account of the top-secret counterintelligence organisation that dealt with Stalin's enemies from within the shadowy recesses of Soviet government. As James Bond's nemesis in Ian Fleming's novels, SMERSH and its operatives were depicted in exotic duels with 007, rather than fostering the bleak oppression and terror they actually spread in the name of their dictator. Stalin drew a veil of secrecy over SMERSH's operations in 1946, but that did not stop him using it to terrify Red Army dissenters in Leningrad and Moscow, or to abduct and execute suspected spooks - often without cause - across mainland Europe. Formed to mop up Nazi spy rings at the end of the Second World War, SMERSH gained its name from a combination of the Russian words for 'Death to Spies'. Successive Communist governments suppressed traces of Stalin's political hit squad; now Vadim Birstein lays bare the surgical brutality with which it exerted its influence as part of the paranoid regime, both within the Soviet Union and in the wider world. SMERSH was the most mysterious and secret of organisations - this definitive and magisterial history finally reveals truths that lay buried for nearly fifty years.
Semi-Detached
by John BiffenImmensely respected on both sides of the House, John Biffen was a man of charm, wisdom and intelligence. Celebrated as one of the cleverest and nicest politicians around, he brought to the Conservative benches one of the most original economic minds of his generation. Biffen served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Secretary of State for Trade, but it was as Leader of the House of Commons that he really made his mark. Over time, he found himself increasingly at odds with the divisive nature and style of Margaret Thatcher's government. Thatcher was unreceptive and he was slowly frozen out. In sacking Biffen from her Cabinet, she lost one of the more human faces of her government. With its candid account of the subject's battle with depression, this fascinating autobiography, with extensive extracts from his unpublished diaries, is a portrait of great humanity and determination set against the backdrop of public life. Semi-Detached revisits dramatic and poignant moments from Biffen's personal life and from the corridors of power, presenting a moving and penetrating portrayal of one of the twentieth century's most remarkable politicians.
Stephen Ward Was Innocent, OK: The Case for Overturning His Conviction
by Geoffrey RobertsonIn the summer of '61 John Profumo, Minister for War, enjoyed a brief affair with Christine Keeler... Late in the afternoon of Wednesday 31 July 1963, Dr Stephen Ward was convicted at the Old Bailey on two counts alleging that he lived on the earnings of a prostitute. He was not in the dock but comatose in hospital. The previous night he had attempted suicide, because (as he said in a note) 'after Marshall's [the judge's] summing up, I've given up all hope'. He died on Saturday 3 August, without regaining consciousness. Many observers of the proceedings thought the convictions did not reflect the evidence and that the trial was unfair, and this book will show that it breached basic standards of justice. Geoffrey Robertson brings his forensic skills and a deeply felt sense of injustice to the case at the heart of the Profumo affair, the notorious scandal that brought down a government.
Ad & Wal: Values, Duty, Sacrifice in Apartheid South Africa
by Peter HainMost of us like to think we'd stand up to fight against evil, and yet the vast majority of white South Africans either stood by and said nothing or actively participated in the oppression and carnage during apartheid. Ad & Wal is the story of two modest people who became notorious, two survivors who did what they thought was right, two parents who rebelled against the apartheid regime knowing they were putting themselves and their family in grave danger. Ad & Wal is the story of an ordinary couple who did extraordinary things despite the odds. How did they come to their decision? What exactly did they do? What can we learn from them?
Go Spy the Land: Being the Adventures of IK8 of the British Secret Service (Dialogue Espionage Classics Ser.)
by George Alexander HillBefore espionage entered the era of modern technology, there was the age of George Alexander Hill: a time of swashbuckling secret agents, swordsticks and secret assignations with deadly female spies. The daring escapades of some of the first members of Britain's secret service are revealed in this account of perilous adventure and audacious missions in Imperial and revolutionary Russia. First published in 1932, Hill's rip-roaring narrative recounts tales of his fellow operatives Arthur Ransome - author of Swallows and Amazons and one of the most effective British spies in Russia - and Sidney Reilly - so-called 'Ace of Spies' and architect of a thwarted plot to assassinate the Bolshevik leadership. Unavailable for decades, this lost classic offers fascinating portraits of a world unfathomable to those growing up against a backdrop of WikiLeaks and cyber espionage, and of true-life characters whose exploits were so extraordinary that they have entered the realm of legend.