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The Saint and the Chopped-Up Baby: The Cult of Vincent Ferrer in Medieval and Early Modern Europe
by Laura Ackerman SmollerVincent Ferrer (1350–1419), a celebrated Dominican preacher from Valencia, was revered as a living saint during his lifetime, receiving papal canonization within fifty years of his death. In The Saint and the Chopped-Up Baby, Laura Ackerman Smoller recounts the fascinating story of how Vincent became the subject of widespread devotion, ranging from the saint’s tomb in Brittany to cult centers in Spain, Italy, France, Germany, and Latin America, where Vincent is still venerated today. Along the way, Smoller traces the long and sometimes contentious process of establishing a stable image of a new saint. Vincent came to be epitomized by a singularly arresting miracle tale in which a mother kills, chops up, and cooks her own baby, only to have the child restored to life by the saint’s intercession. This miracle became a key emblem in the official portrayal of the saint promoted by the papal court and the Dominican order, still haunted by the memory of the Great Schism (1378–1414) that had rent the Catholic Church for nearly forty years. Vincent, however, proved to be a potent religious symbol for others whose agendas did not necessarily align with those of Rome. Whether shoring up the political legitimacy of Breton or Aragonese rulers, proclaiming a new plague saint, or trumpeting their own holiness, individuals imposed their own meanings on the Dominican saint. Drawing on nuanced readings of canonization inquests, hagiography, liturgical sources, art, and devotional materials, Smoller tracks these various appropriations from the time of Vincent’s 1455 canonization through the eve of the Enlightenment, in the process bringing to life a long, raucous discussion ranging over many centuries. The Saint and the Chopped-Up Baby restores the voices of that conversation in all its complexity.
Saint Andrew: Myth, Legend and Reality
by Michael TRB TurnbullSaint Andrew and the Saltire have contributed much to the culture and identity of Scotland of the centuries. As early expressions of commercial and intellectual dynamism, communication and diplomatic skills they encouraged Scots to seek and develop closer ties with Europe. Not only are the Saint and the Saltire venerated mechanisms of reconciliation for the diverse strands of Scottish society, the author argues that they also offer a potent opportunity for commercial expansion in the future. This book brings the story of the country's Patron Saint bang-up-to-date and incorporates many of the opinions of Scotland's most influential people as well as worldwide reports from the many Scots who celebrate Saint Andrew's Day on 30th November.
Saint-Exupery: A Biography
by Stacy SchiffA fascinating account of the life of one of the century's great eccentrics - the brilliant Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Born in 1900 of impoverished aristocracy, he swiftly developed a mania for aviation, despite his chaotic mind and total technological incompetence. He flew reconnaissance missions in the War and wrote some strange and wonderful books, including the classic children's story THE LITTLE PRINCE, between theatrically executed airplane crashed. He died in the air in 1944, and his brief life instantly acquired mythical status. 'Every facet of Saint-Exupery's short and dramatic life is covered in this fascinating biography. This is Stacy Schiff's first book, but she writes with all the skill, assurance and mastery of an old literary hand. If there was such a thing as a prize for a first biography, I would nominate this book. ' Frank McLynn, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH.
Saint Joan of Arc (Grove Great Lives Ser.)
by Vita Sackville-WestThe strange story of Joan of Arc, the obscure peasant girl who became the national saint of France, is retold in this celebrated, classic biography. Saint Joan lives for the reader on every page, as a shepherd girl in a remote part of fifteenth-century rural France, visited by visions of saints and angels; as the avenging virgin who regenerated the soul of a torn and wretched France and led her troops to victory; and as a condemned heretic and witch, burned at the stake and, five hundred years later, canonised as a saint.
The Saint - My Autobiography: The man, the myth, the true story
by Ian St JohnThis is the life story of the legendary Liverpool and Scotland 1960s footballer known as 'The Saint'. Bought by Bill Shankly from Motherwell in 1961, Ian St John was widely thought of as one of the most significant signings ever made by Liverpool FC, and was a key component in Shankly's first successful team. In his autobiography, he reveals how it felt to play for one of the most successful clubs in Britain, and to be part of one of the greatest moments in the club's history; winning the FA Cup in 1965 after 70 years of trying. In the final against Leeds, Ian was to score the winning goal in extra time.However, after the glory would come pain and frustration, as after serving ten years with Liverpool, he was dropped from the team without warning. Here he describes his anger at the betrayal he felt from Bill Shankly, the legendary master of Anfield, and provides an insight into the character of one of Britain's greatest managers. He reveals how his life after Liverpool has been no less uneventful; his playing days in South Africa, career in management and television days with Jimmy Greaves are also explored at length. From this rich mix of football and life, Ian St John tells the compelling story of his journey through a game which has changed, he says, almost beyond belief.
The Saint of Pakistan: An Extract From Paramédico
by Benjamin GilmourAbdul Sattar Edhi, a simple Pakistani grandfather, heads the largest ambulance service in the world and has never had a day off in his life. In this mini-ebook, he tells Benjamin Gilmour about his life in Pakistan.
Saint Patrick: Life, Legend and Legacy
by Marian BroderickAn engaging and rich exploration of Saint Patrick and his extraordinary influence on the world. Forced into slavery at the age of fifteen, Patrick overcame all hardship to fulfil his calling: to bring the people of Ireland into the light of God's word. He carried out his mission of conversion and care at a crucial time of change, as Christianity spread across Romanised Europe and harnessed existing social structures and belief systems in Pagan Ireland. Patrick met high kings and mythical heroes, Celtic gods and goddesses, lowly farmers and loyal servants, and he left lasting marks upon the Irish landscape and way of life. He was humble, courageous and resourceful, and was the first of Ireland's saints to write down his experiences. Thus began the cult of Saint Patrick, galvanised over 1500 years of devotion and scholarship, and culminating recently in the cheerful 'greening' of the world's most famous landmarks. Drawing from recorded histories, 'tall tales' from all four provinces and beautiful illustrations, this is a light-hearted look at the global phenomenon of Saint Patrick, his life and his legacy, the facts and the fiction of his incredible journey from slave to international saint.
Saint Patrick Retold: The Legend and History of Ireland's Patron Saint
by Roy FlechnerA gripping biography that brings together the most recent research to shed provocative new light on the life of Saint PatrickSaint Patrick was, by his own admission, a controversial figure. Convicted in a trial by his elders in Britain and hounded by rumors that he settled in Ireland for financial gain, the man who was to become Ireland’s patron saint battled against great odds before succeeding as a missionary. Saint Patrick Retold draws on recent research to offer a fresh assessment of Patrick’s travails and achievements. This is the first biography in nearly fifty years to explore Patrick’s career against the background of historical events in late antique Britain and Ireland.Roy Flechner examines the likelihood that Patrick, like his father before him, might have absconded from a career as an imperial official responsible for taxation, preferring instead to migrate to Ireland with his family’s slaves, who were his source of wealth. Flechner leaves no stone unturned as he takes readers on a riveting journey through Romanized Britain and late Iron Age Ireland, and he considers how best to interpret the ambiguous literary and archaeological evidence from this period of great political and economic instability, a period that brought ruin for some and opportunity for others. Rather than a dismantling of Patrick’s reputation, or an argument against his sainthood, Flechner’s biography raises crucial questions about self-image and the making of a reputation.From boyhood deeds to the challenges of a missionary enterprise, Saint Patrick Retold steps beyond established narratives to reassess a notable figure’s life and legacy.
Saint Patrick Retold: The Legend and History of Ireland's Patron Saint
by Roy FlechnerA gripping biography that brings together the most recent research to shed provocative new light on the life of Saint PatrickSaint Patrick was, by his own admission, a controversial figure. Convicted in a trial by his elders in Britain and hounded by rumors that he settled in Ireland for financial gain, the man who was to become Ireland’s patron saint battled against great odds before succeeding as a missionary. Saint Patrick Retold draws on recent research to offer a fresh assessment of Patrick’s travails and achievements. This is the first biography in nearly fifty years to explore Patrick’s career against the background of historical events in late antique Britain and Ireland.Roy Flechner examines the likelihood that Patrick, like his father before him, might have absconded from a career as an imperial official responsible for taxation, preferring instead to migrate to Ireland with his family’s slaves, who were his source of wealth. Flechner leaves no stone unturned as he takes readers on a riveting journey through Romanized Britain and late Iron Age Ireland, and he considers how best to interpret the ambiguous literary and archaeological evidence from this period of great political and economic instability, a period that brought ruin for some and opportunity for others. Rather than a dismantling of Patrick’s reputation, or an argument against his sainthood, Flechner’s biography raises crucial questions about self-image and the making of a reputation.From boyhood deeds to the challenges of a missionary enterprise, Saint Patrick Retold steps beyond established narratives to reassess a notable figure’s life and legacy.
Saint Patrick Retold: The Legend and History of Ireland's Patron Saint
by Roy FlechnerA gripping biography that brings together the most recent research to shed provocative new light on the life of Saint PatrickSaint Patrick was, by his own admission, a controversial figure. Convicted in a trial by his elders in Britain and hounded by rumors that he settled in Ireland for financial gain, the man who was to become Ireland’s patron saint battled against great odds before succeeding as a missionary. Saint Patrick Retold draws on recent research to offer a fresh assessment of Patrick’s travails and achievements. This is the first biography in nearly fifty years to explore Patrick’s career against the background of historical events in late antique Britain and Ireland.Roy Flechner examines the likelihood that Patrick, like his father before him, might have absconded from a career as an imperial official responsible for taxation, preferring instead to migrate to Ireland with his family’s slaves, who were his source of wealth. Flechner leaves no stone unturned as he takes readers on a riveting journey through Romanized Britain and late Iron Age Ireland, and he considers how best to interpret the ambiguous literary and archaeological evidence from this period of great political and economic instability, a period that brought ruin for some and opportunity for others. Rather than a dismantling of Patrick’s reputation, or an argument against his sainthood, Flechner’s biography raises crucial questions about self-image and the making of a reputation.From boyhood deeds to the challenges of a missionary enterprise, Saint Patrick Retold steps beyond established narratives to reassess a notable figure’s life and legacy.
Saint Paul (Phoenix Press Ser.)
by Michael GrantSaint Paul was not only a religious figure of exceptional power but one of the outstanding makers of history. This is the biography of a man who profoundly influenced people of widely divergent beliefs, races and epochs.Without the spiritual earthquake brought about by St Paul, Christianity would probably never have survived. Yet Paul's importance extends very widely beyond the religious field. His effect upon Western thought has been immeasurable. This is the man Michael Grant has described in his book. Paul's own authentic voice can still be heard in his surviving letters or Epistles, which not only contain numerous autobiographical clues, but are the earliest Christian documents in existence and rank high among the most valuable literature the world has ever produced. Dr Grant considers in detail this extant literature, along with material of Paul's four evangelical journeys and discusses the reasons for his spectacular conversion on the road to Damascus. As in The Jews of the Roman World and Herod the Great, he brings together research on Israel on the one hand and Greece and Rome on the other, believing that it is necessary to study these cultures in conjunction, since Paul was a Jew who wrote in Greek and was a Roman citizen. The aim of this book, then, is to bring to life this many sided human being of outstanding and peculiar gifts.
Saint Saul: A Skeleton Key to the Historical Jesus
by Donald Harman AkensonIn Saint Saul, Donald Harman Akenson offers a lively and provocative account of what we can learn about Jesus by reading the letters of Paul. As the only direct evidence of Jesus we have that were composed before the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE forever altered the outlook of the Christian and Jewish faiths, Akenson claims that these letters are the most reliable source of information. He dismisses the traditional method of searching for facts about Jesus by looking for parallels among the four gospels because they were handed down to us as a unit by a later generation. Akenson painstakingly recreates the world of Christ, a time rich with ideas, prophets, factions, priests, savants, and god-drunk fanatics. He insistently stresses throughout the Jewishness of Jesus, referring to Jesus and Paul as Yeshua and Saul, as they were then known. As an eminent historian, Akenson approaches his subject with a fresh eye and a scholarly rigor that is all too rare in this hotly disputed field.
Saka Rules (Football Superstars #25)
by Simon MugfordIs Bukayo Saka your ultimate football hero? The young winger is known for his pace on the flanks, his tekkers and goals! He is a regular starter for club side Arsenal and a full England international. He was named England's Player of the Year in 2021-22.Discover how Bukayo – whose Nigerian name means 'adds to happiness' developed his love of football, supported by parents who were keen for him to join Arsenal. With former Arsenal fan-favourite Freddie Ljunberg as his mentor, read how Saka honed his skills and discipline to break through into the Arsenal ranks and become one of their most outstanding stars as the Gunners vie for the Premier League title in 2023!The Football Superstars series is aimed at building a love of reading in young children, and is filled with fun cartoons, inspirational stories and a cast of characters chipping in with quotes, jokes and comments.
Saladin: The Life, the Legend and the Islamic Empire
by John ManSaladin remains one of the most iconic figures of his age. As the man who united the Arabs and saved Islam from Christian crusaders in the 12th century, he is the Islamic world’s preeminent hero. Ruthless in defence of his faith, brilliant in leadership, he also possessed qualities that won admiration from his Christian foes. He knew the limits of violence, showing such tolerance and generosity that many Europeans, appalled at the brutality of their own people, saw him as the exemplar of their own knightly ideals. But Saladin is far more than a historical hero. Builder, literary patron and theologian, he is a man for all times, and a symbol of hope for an Arab world once again divided. Centuries after his death, in cities from Damascus to Cairo and beyond, to the Arabian Peninsula and the Gulf, Saladin continues to be an immensely potent symbol of religious and military resistance to the West. He is central to Arab memories, sensibilities and the ideal of a unified Islamic state. In this authoritative biography, historian John Man brings Saladin and his world to life in vivid detail. Charting his rise to power, his struggle to unify the warring factions of his faith, and his battles to retake Jerusalem and expel Christian influence from Arab lands, Saladin explores the life and the enduring legacy of this champion of Islam, and examines his significance for the world today.
Salah (Football Superstar Biographies Ser.)
by Luca Caioli Cyril CollotMohamed Salah needed little time to settle in to life at Liverpool. Since signing for the Anfield club in 2017 for a then-club record fee, he has broken the club’s scoring record for a debut season, as well as becoming the leading goalscorer in Europe’s top five leagues, overtaking Lionel Messi and Harry Kane. He was the first player to ever win three Premier League Player of the Month awards in the same season and was the winner of the PFA Player’s Player of the Year for 2017–18, scoring 32 goals in 36 league games. In this biography of the Egypt and Liverpool star, bestselling authors Luca Caioli and Cyril Collot examine his rise to success. Up to date with Russia World Cup 2018 analysis and featuring exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes details.
Salah Rules (Football Superstars #26)
by Simon MugfordIf Salah is your favourite football player then this is the book for you! Discover how he grew up in Gharbia, Egypt playing football for the youth team El Mokawloons to being named the African Footballer of the Year in 2019 by the BBC and CAF. Learn how he spearheaded Liverpool FC to the Champions League title in 2019. Football Superstars: Salah Rules is written in an upbeat style that is ideal for emerging and reluctant readers. The simple narrative text is supplemented with cartoons and visual jokes. Sections and chapters make the book easy to navigate and fun to dip in and out of. A supporting cast of players, managers, TV pundits – and even the authors themselves – chip in with quotes, jokes and comments to add to the playful and informative fun.
Salazar: A Political Biography (Routledge Studies in Fascism and the Far Right)
by Filipe Ribeiro de MenesesSalazar: A Political Biography is the definitive biography of the longstanding Portuguese dictator. António de Oliveira Salazar entered the government of Portugal when Herbert Hoover was president and ended his political career at the end of the Johnson administration. He remained in power for forty years (1928–1968), one of the longest tenures in modern history. Unlike the other ‘great dictators’ of the twentieth century, Salazar, an academic, immersed himself in the minutiae of government and administration, maintaining a prodigious work rate until illness forced his retirement. He successfully managed his country’s finances despite the impact of the Great Depression, imposing a harsh policy of austerity. He then preserved Portugal’s neutrality during the Second World War, ultimately favouring Great Britain and the United States. But Salazar was at heart an extremely conservative, even reactionary statesman. He relied on secrecy and a police state to maintain the order which, he believed, was necessary to control progress. Rejecting the anti-colonialist movements in Asia and Africa, he plunged Portugal into a series of wars in Africa it could ill afford. Fully revised and updated throughout, this remains the authoritative biography of a key Portuguese political leader who was a significant presence in twentieth-century politics. This book will be of interest to historians of the far right, international diplomacy and Portugal.
Salazar: A Political Biography (Routledge Studies in Fascism and the Far Right)
by Filipe Ribeiro de MenesesSalazar: A Political Biography is the definitive biography of the longstanding Portuguese dictator. António de Oliveira Salazar entered the government of Portugal when Herbert Hoover was president and ended his political career at the end of the Johnson administration. He remained in power for forty years (1928–1968), one of the longest tenures in modern history. Unlike the other ‘great dictators’ of the twentieth century, Salazar, an academic, immersed himself in the minutiae of government and administration, maintaining a prodigious work rate until illness forced his retirement. He successfully managed his country’s finances despite the impact of the Great Depression, imposing a harsh policy of austerity. He then preserved Portugal’s neutrality during the Second World War, ultimately favouring Great Britain and the United States. But Salazar was at heart an extremely conservative, even reactionary statesman. He relied on secrecy and a police state to maintain the order which, he believed, was necessary to control progress. Rejecting the anti-colonialist movements in Asia and Africa, he plunged Portugal into a series of wars in Africa it could ill afford. Fully revised and updated throughout, this remains the authoritative biography of a key Portuguese political leader who was a significant presence in twentieth-century politics. This book will be of interest to historians of the far right, international diplomacy and Portugal.
Sálim Ali for Children: The Bird Man of India
by Zai WhitakerOF COURSE THERE WERE BIRDS IN THE BUSHES, TREES AND SKIES BEFORE SÁLIM ALI. BUT IT WAS HE WHO PUT THEM ON INDIA'S MAP FOREVER.From being a trigger-happy airgun-toting nine-year-old boy to becoming one of the foremost bird scientists in the world, Sálim Ali did not follow a straight path. Somewhere along his adventures between India, Burma and Europe, he developed such a single-minded zeal for the study of feathered creatures that he spent all his time close to them. Over the long course of researching bird life, in the days when there were no computers or internet, he wrote the first Indian field guide to birds, using just a notebook and binoculars. 'Sálim Bhai' - as he was widely known - had neither wealth nor connections in high places, but his passion for birds, a phenomenal memory and discipline made him one of the most famous ornithologists in the country and beyond. In Sálim Ali for Children, his grand-niece Zai Whitaker brings to life the inspiring story of this brilliant, quirky man who left behind an incredible legacy.
Salinger: A Biography
by Paul AlexanderJ. D. Salinger was one of the twentieth century’s greatest writers. He was also one of its most elusive. After making his mark on the American literary scene with the classic Bildungsroman The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger retreated to a small town in New Hampshire, where he hoped to hide his life away from the world. With dogged determination, however, journalist and biographer Paul Alexander captured Salinger’s story in this, the only complete biography of Holden Caulfield’s creator published to date. Using the archives at Princeton, Yale, Harvard, Columbia, NYU and the New York Public Library as well as research in New York and New Hampshire, Alexander has created a great biography of Salinger that’s further enriched by interviews with some of the greatest literary figures of our time: George Plimpton, Gay Talese, Ian Hamilton, Harold Bloom, Roger Angell, A. Scott Berg, Robert Giroux, Ved Mehta, Gordon Lish and Tom Wolfe. This comprehensive biography of J. D. Salinger was the inspiration for the major Hollywood film Salinger, directed by Shane Salerno and produced by The Weinstein Company, the producers of blockbuster films including The Iron Lady and Silver Linings Playbook.
Salisbury: Victorian Titan (Phoenix Press Ser.)
by Andrew RobertsLord Salisbury dominated the late Victorian political scene. He was Prime Minister for much of the time and also Foreign Secretary, very often holding down the two positions concurrently. In achievement and ability he was at least the equal of Disraeli and Gladstone though less well remembered. In part that was the result of his own aloof and laodicean temperament but it was also the fault of there being no faintly adequate modern biography (his daughter, Lady Gwendolen Cecil wrote a magnificent biography early in the twentieth-century but although in four volumes it only got as far as 1892). At last, in 1999 with the publication of Andrew Roberts' biography this desideratum was filled. Here was the biography of sufficient stature to do justice to the Victorian Titan. Most aptly it went on to win the Wolfson History Prize and the James Stern Silver Pen Award for Non-Fiction. The uniformly outstanding reviews prove why.'Andrew Roberts has filled one of the great gaps in Victorian historiography. This is the first authoritative life of the statesman who dominated politics from 1885 to 1902 . . . A brilliant biography that will long replace anything which has appeared before.' Robert Blake, Daily Telegraph 'This is a biography of quite unusual quality and insight, tautly organized yet flowing easily, with years of research behind it to reinforce its authority. While not seeking to diminish either Gladstone or Disraeli, it restores Salisbury to the commanding position he rightfully occupied in Victorian politics.' Peter Clarke, Sunday Times'An outstanding achievement . . . seldom has such an important study been such splendid entertainment.' Piers Brendon, Independent'This is a book to put on one's shelf alongside Ehrman's Younger Pitt, Gash's volumes on Peel and Blake's Disraeli . . . Andrew Roberts' book has the balance, insight all-roundedness and intellectual elegance of Lord Salisbury himself.' A. D. Harvey, Salisbury Review'(Salisbury) deserves, and has found, a fine biographer, who has left no stone unturned in his researches, has written cogently and well about his subject, and provided not just a history of Lord Salisbury, but one of the best histories yet of Victorian Britain and her place in the world.' Simon Heffer, Daily Mail'Salisbury is a great biography, magisterially proportioned and fit to take its place with Gash on Peel and Blake on Disraeli, if not with Morley's Gladstone. Moreover, although constructed on a massive scale, it is so beautifully written that one could not want it a page shorter. It is unlikely ever to be superseded.' Vernon Bogdanor, Times Higher Educational Supplement 'Roberts triumphantly retrieves Salisbury from unmerited obscurity with a book as delightful to read as it is informative.' Niall Ferguson, Mail on Sunday'A terrific piece of biography; I really enjoyed it.' Jeremy Paxman, Start the Week'Andrew Roberts' Salisbury fills a most remarkable gap in British historiography with a study that that is not only learned and comprehensive but startlingly well-written.' Michael Howard, Times Literary Supplement Books of the Year'It captures the essence of Salisbury in a way that nothing has has ever done for me before.' Roy Jenkins, Financial Times
Salman Khan: The Man, The Actor, The Legend
by Devapriya SanyalA name that's synonymous with packed theatres shouting his name and crowds of young men cheering for him, Salman Khan has been reigning in the popular imagination for three decades now. However, superstardom came with its share of troubles. Salman has found himself in the news once too often, almost as though he were controversy's favourite child. Endlessly discussed as well as criticised, he is an object of adulation, fantasy and reverence in the cultural space. Tabloid pieces, stories and gossip-all tend to collapse him into a formula, making him lose his exclusivity when he is one of a kind.Salman Khan: The Man, The Actor, The Legend offers new perspectives on cinema and the peculiar glow of this star's superstardom in a consumerist society. It cuts through the many layers of his personality, the gossip and the rumours to focus on the star's aesthetic formulation-on what exactly it is about film and television, the star system and the capitalistic society that make him such a huge icon. It looks into Salman Khan, the phenomenon, in-depth, considering there have been fewer enquiries dedicated to charting his stardom than some of his contemporaries. A fascinating account of one of Bollywood's towering figures, this is a candid portrait of Salman Khan-the man and the superstar-and what makes this legend thrive across generations.
Salmon P. Chase: A Biography
by John NivenSalmon P. Chase was one of the preeminent men of 19th-century America. A majestic figure, tall and stately, Chase was a leader in the fight to end slavery, a brilliant administrator who as Lincoln's Secretary of the Treasury provided crucial funding for a vastly expensive war, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court during the turmoil of Reconstruction, and the presiding officer of the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson. Yet he was also a complex figure. As John Niven reveals in this magisterial biography, Chase was a paradoxical blend of idealism and ambition. If he stood for the highest moral purposes--the freedom and equality of all mankind--these lofty ideas failed to mask a thirst for power so deeply ingrained in his character that it drove away many who shared his principles, but mistrusted his motives. Niven provides a vivid description of Chase's early years--his childhood in New Hampshire (where his father's failed business venture and early death left the family all but destitute) and in Ohio (where he was sent to live with his uncle Philander, an Episcopal bishop), his education at Dartmouth, and his early law career in Cincinnati. Niven shows how the plight of the slaves stirred this reticent young lawyer, and how Chase gradually moved to the forefront of the antislavery movement. At the same time, we see how he used his growing prominence in the antislavery movement to forward his political ambitions. Niven illuminates Chase's long tenure as a public man. Twice elected United States Senator, twice chosen governor of Ohio (then the third most populous state in the Union), Chase organized the widespread but diffuse anti-slavery movement into a workable political organization, the Free Soil party (whose slogan "Free Soil, Free Labor, Freemen" Chase coined himself). We read of Chase's work in Lincoln's war cabinet and his tenure as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and we also follow his many political maneuvers, his attempts to undercut rivals, and his poorly run campaigns for presidential nominations. Niven also provides an intimate portrait of Chase's family life--his loss of three wives and four of his six children, and the unfortunate marriage of his beautiful daughter Kate to a rich but dissolute man--and a vivid picture of life at mid-century. What emerges is a portrait of a tragic figure, whose high qualities of heart and mind and whose many achievements were ultimately tarnished by an often unseemly quest for power. It is a striking look at an eminent statesman as well as a revealing glimpse into political life in 19th-century America, all set against a background of the anti-slavery movement, the Civil War, and the turmoil of Reconstruction.
Salmon P. Chase: A Biography
by John NivenSalmon P. Chase was one of the preeminent men of 19th-century America. A majestic figure, tall and stately, Chase was a leader in the fight to end slavery, a brilliant administrator who as Lincoln's Secretary of the Treasury provided crucial funding for a vastly expensive war, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court during the turmoil of Reconstruction, and the presiding officer of the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson. Yet he was also a complex figure. As John Niven reveals in this magisterial biography, Chase was a paradoxical blend of idealism and ambition. If he stood for the highest moral purposes--the freedom and equality of all mankind--these lofty ideas failed to mask a thirst for power so deeply ingrained in his character that it drove away many who shared his principles, but mistrusted his motives. Niven provides a vivid description of Chase's early years--his childhood in New Hampshire (where his father's failed business venture and early death left the family all but destitute) and in Ohio (where he was sent to live with his uncle Philander, an Episcopal bishop), his education at Dartmouth, and his early law career in Cincinnati. Niven shows how the plight of the slaves stirred this reticent young lawyer, and how Chase gradually moved to the forefront of the antislavery movement. At the same time, we see how he used his growing prominence in the antislavery movement to forward his political ambitions. Niven illuminates Chase's long tenure as a public man. Twice elected United States Senator, twice chosen governor of Ohio (then the third most populous state in the Union), Chase organized the widespread but diffuse anti-slavery movement into a workable political organization, the Free Soil party (whose slogan "Free Soil, Free Labor, Freemen" Chase coined himself). We read of Chase's work in Lincoln's war cabinet and his tenure as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and we also follow his many political maneuvers, his attempts to undercut rivals, and his poorly run campaigns for presidential nominations. Niven also provides an intimate portrait of Chase's family life--his loss of three wives and four of his six children, and the unfortunate marriage of his beautiful daughter Kate to a rich but dissolute man--and a vivid picture of life at mid-century. What emerges is a portrait of a tragic figure, whose high qualities of heart and mind and whose many achievements were ultimately tarnished by an often unseemly quest for power. It is a striking look at an eminent statesman as well as a revealing glimpse into political life in 19th-century America, all set against a background of the anti-slavery movement, the Civil War, and the turmoil of Reconstruction.
Salmond: Against The Odds
by David TorranceA masterful work with intricate research' - Dorothy-Grace Elder, Scottish Review 'Torrance is an industrious historian and an assiduous biographer' - The Herald Alex Salmond is well known in Scotland, the UK and beyond as the leader of the Scottish National Party and Scotland's First Minister, but relatively little is understood about Salmond as a human being, what makes him a Nationalist, what shaped his political views, and what sort of country he believes an independent Scotland can be. In this first biography, with which close colleagues and friends have co-operated, the acclaimed political biographer David Torrance turns his attention to perhaps one of the most capable and interesting politicians Scotland has produced in the last few decades. Utilising a raft of published and unpublished material, Torrance charts the life and career of Alex Salmond from his schooldays, his political activism at St Andrews University, his early career at the Royal Bank of Scotland, his election as the MP for Banff and Buchan and, in greater depth than ever before, his two spells as leader of the SNP and, from 2007, as First Minister of Scotland.