How the father and son presidents foresaw the rise of the cult of personality and fought those who sought to abuse the weaknesses inherent in our democracy.Until now, no one has properly dissected the intertwined lives of the second and sixth (father and son) presidents. John and John Quincy Adams were brilliant, prickly politicians and arguably the most independently minded among leaders of the founding generation. Distrustful of blind allegiance to a political party, they brought a healthy skepticism of a brand-new system of government to the country's first 50 years. They were unpopular for their fears of the potential for demagoguery lurking in democracy, and--in a twist that predicted the turn of twenty-first century politics--they warned against, but were unable to stop, the seductive appeal of political celebrities Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. In a bold recasting of the Adamses' historical roles, The Problem of Democracy is a major critique of the ways in which their prophetic warnings have been systematically ignored over the centuries. It's also an intimate family drama that brings out the torment and personal hurt caused by the gritty conduct of early American politics. Burstein and Isenberg make sense of the presidents' somewhat iconoclastic, highly creative engagement with America's political and social realities. By taking the temperature of American democracy, from its heated origins through multiple upheavals, the authors reveal the dangers and weaknesses that have been present since the beginning. They provide a clear-eyed look at a decoy democracy that masks the reality of elite rule while remaining open, since the days of George Washington, to a very undemocratic result in the formation of a cult surrounding the person of an elected leader.
Viking
|
9780525557500
|
Hardcover
The Matter of Black Lives
By Cobb, Jelani
A collection of The New Yorker's groundbreaking writing on race in America - including work by James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Hilton Als, Zadie Smith, and more - with a foreword by Jelani CobbThis anthology from the pages of the New Yorker provides a bold and complex portrait of Black life in America, told through stories of private triumphs and national tragedies, political vision and artistic inspiration. It reaches back across a century, with Rebecca West's classic account of a 1947 lynching trial and James Baldwin's "Letter from a Region in My Mind" (which later formed the basis of The Fire Next Time) , and yet it also explores our current moment, from the classroom to the prison cell and the upheavals of what Jelani Cobb calls "the American Spring.
‎Ecco
|
9780063017597
|
Hardcover
Pepys's Later Diaries
By Pepys, Samuel
Pepys never resumed the personal Diary which he abandoned in 1669 when he feared (wrongly) that he was going blind. He was one of the greatest accidental historians, never intending to record for posterity, only his own amusement. But he did write several short diaries or journals at various key moments in his later life. Each is a document of historical importance and all have the interest which attaches to any work of an acknowledged master of the diary form. C S Knighton, for the first time, makes these diaries available to the general reader. These fascinating documents enlarge and enhance our picture of Pepys as a politician and civil servant. As always with Pepys the tone is engaging and revealing - sometimes accidentally, as often in these documents Pepys is anxious to present himself in the best possible light and does not scruple to lay the blame for any mishaps on others.
The History Press
|
9780752495323
|
NOOK Book(eBook)
VCs of the First World War
By Gliddon, Gerald
At the end of 1917, after three years of trench warfare on the Western Front, the Allied armies of Britain and France and those of their main opponent Germany had reached a point of exhaustion and hibernation. With this in mind the Germans planned an all-out offensive, Operation "Michael, " which overwhelmed the Allies and overstretched the Germans. More offensives were to follow throughout the spring, including at Aisne and Marne. It was during these bloody battles that 57 men stood out for acts of extraordinary daring and bravery. To these men the highest military honor was awarded - the Victoria Cross. This book reveals the true extent of their bravery, their backgrounds, and their lives after the war.
This item is Non-Returnable.
The History Press
|
9780752492346
|
The Spellmount Guide to London in the Second World War
By Beardon, James
During the lead up to and over the course of the Second World War, London was a city transformed as it simultaneously became the front line and the command centre of Allied operations. The scale and speed of the city's transformation has been unparalleled in London's history as the government requisitioned buildings and defences were built while bombing wrought devastation across the city, changing it forever. This book will guide the reader, as a virtual tourist - or a real one - around war-time London. Buildings that had a specific war time use or have a link to an important event that occurred during the war are revealed, along with the often secret activities, known only to a select few at the time, of the organisations who occupied them. Buildings used as air raid shelters, iconic buildings damaged by enemy bombing and how London itself changed is all brought to life.
The History Press
|
9780752497471
|
Book
Death at Dawn
By Jacobsen, Alf R
Hitler's desperate need for iron ore was the main reason for his attack on Norway in April 1940. The battle for Narvik's ice-free harbor soon became a crucial objective for both Allied and Axis forces. Attack at Dawn covers the two key battles that fought on 10th and 13th of April. The first battle was initiated by the British Navy, who had orders to prevent a German landing. U-boats failed to spot the patrolling British destroyer flotilla and, early in the morning on April 10th, they sank two German destroyers and six merchant ships in the harbor. The Germans retreated but, unbeknown to the British, five more destroyers were anchored nearby. Battle continued on April 13th. In total, 10 destroyers sank - only U51 survived by escaping to sea. Attack at Dawn is an epic drama which involved naval and land forces.
The History Press
|
9780750968782
|
Strange and Obscure Stories of the Civil War
By Rowland, Tim
A quirky journey through little-known trivia and true stories from the history of the American Civil War. The Civil War tore the United States apart - but with the drama and chaos of war as front-page news, some stories of the time were forgotten. They're the sort of bizarre, outrageous, funny, or entertaining tidbits that would have gone viral on social media - if they'd had such a thing back then. Here, a newspaper columnist and a retired superintendent of the Antietam National Battlefield have collected a wide variety of tales from the time, including mistakes, misadventures and epic screw-ups you won't find in history books, including: * the monument to Union General Dan Sickles that was missing a statue because the funds for it had been stolen .
Skyhorse Publishing
|
9781628731002
|
eBook
The Liberation of Paris
By Smith, Jean Edward
Prize-winning and bestselling historian Jean Edward Smith tells the dramatic story of the liberation of Paris during World War II - a triumph that was achieved through the remarkable efforts of Americans, French, and Germans, all racing to save the city from destruction.Following their breakout from Normandy in late June 1944, the Allies swept across northern France in pursuit of the German army. The Allies intended to bypass Paris and cross the Rhine into Germany, ending the war before winter set in. But as they advanced, local forces in Paris began their own liberation, defying the occupying German troops. Charles de Gaulle, the leading figure of the Free French government, urged General Dwight Eisenhower to divert forces to liberate Paris. Eisenhower's most senior staff recommended otherwise, but Ike wanted to help position de Gaulle to lead France after the war. And both men were concerned about partisan conflict in Paris that could leave the communists in control of the city and the national government, perhaps even causing a bloodbath like the Paris Commune. Neither man knew that the German commandant, Dietrich von Choltitz, convinced that the war was lost, dissembled and schemed to surrender the city to the Allies intact, defying Hitler's orders to leave it a burning ruin. In The Liberation of Paris, Jean Edward Smith puts this dramatic event in context, showing how the decision to free the city came at a heavy price: it slowed the Allied momentum and allowed the Germans to regroup. After the war German generals argued that Eisenhower's decision to enter Paris prolonged the war for another six months. Was Paris worth this price? Smith answers this question in his superb, dramatic history of one of the great events of World War II - published seventy-five years after the liberation.
Simon & Schuster
|
9781501164927
|
Hardcover
Bannockburn
By Moffat, Alistair
Bestselling author Alistair Moffat offers fresh insights into one of the most famous battles in history: Bannockburn. As 8, 000 Scottish solders, most of them spearmen, faced 18, 000 English infantrymen, archers, and mounted knights on the morning of Sunday 23 June 1314, many would have thought the result a foregone conclusion. But after two days of fighting, the English were routed. Edward II fled to Dunbar and took ship for home, and only one English unit escaped from Scotland intact. The emphatic defeat of much larger English force was the moment that enabled Scotland to remain independent and pursue a different destiny. This book follows in detail the events of those two days that changed history. In addition to setting the battle within its historical and political context Alistair Moffat captures all the fear, heroism, confusion, and desperation of the fighting itself as he describes the tactics and maneuvers that led to Scottish victory.
Birlinn Ltd
|
9781495650222
|
NOOK Book
The Ipswich Book of Days
By Field, Rachel
Taking you through the year day by day, The Ipswich Book of Days contains quirky, eccentric, shocking, amusing, and important events and facts from different periods in the history of the town. Ideal for dipping into, this addictive little book will keep you entertained and informed. Featuring hundreds of snippets of information gleaned from the vaults of Ipswich's archives, and covering the social, political, religious, agricultural, criminal, industrial, and sporting history of the region, it will delight residents and visitors alike.
This item is Non-Returnable.
The Problem of Democracy
By Isenberg, Nancy
How the father and son presidents foresaw the rise of the cult of personality and fought those who sought to abuse the weaknesses inherent in our democracy.Until now, no one has properly dissected the intertwined lives of the second and sixth (father and son) presidents. John and John Quincy Adams were brilliant, prickly politicians and arguably the most independently minded among leaders of the founding generation. Distrustful of blind allegiance to a political party, they brought a healthy skepticism of a brand-new system of government to the country's first 50 years. They were unpopular for their fears of the potential for demagoguery lurking in democracy, and--in a twist that predicted the turn of twenty-first century politics--they warned against, but were unable to stop, the seductive appeal of political celebrities Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. In a bold recasting of the Adamses' historical roles, The Problem of Democracy is a major critique of the ways in which their prophetic warnings have been systematically ignored over the centuries. It's also an intimate family drama that brings out the torment and personal hurt caused by the gritty conduct of early American politics. Burstein and Isenberg make sense of the presidents' somewhat iconoclastic, highly creative engagement with America's political and social realities. By taking the temperature of American democracy, from its heated origins through multiple upheavals, the authors reveal the dangers and weaknesses that have been present since the beginning. They provide a clear-eyed look at a decoy democracy that masks the reality of elite rule while remaining open, since the days of George Washington, to a very undemocratic result in the formation of a cult surrounding the person of an elected leader.
The Matter of Black Lives
By Cobb, Jelani
A collection of The New Yorker's groundbreaking writing on race in America - including work by James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Hilton Als, Zadie Smith, and more - with a foreword by Jelani CobbThis anthology from the pages of the New Yorker provides a bold and complex portrait of Black life in America, told through stories of private triumphs and national tragedies, political vision and artistic inspiration. It reaches back across a century, with Rebecca West's classic account of a 1947 lynching trial and James Baldwin's "Letter from a Region in My Mind" (which later formed the basis of The Fire Next Time) , and yet it also explores our current moment, from the classroom to the prison cell and the upheavals of what Jelani Cobb calls "the American Spring.
Pepys's Later Diaries
By Pepys, Samuel
Pepys never resumed the personal Diary which he abandoned in 1669 when he feared (wrongly) that he was going blind. He was one of the greatest accidental historians, never intending to record for posterity, only his own amusement. But he did write several short diaries or journals at various key moments in his later life. Each is a document of historical importance and all have the interest which attaches to any work of an acknowledged master of the diary form. C S Knighton, for the first time, makes these diaries available to the general reader. These fascinating documents enlarge and enhance our picture of Pepys as a politician and civil servant. As always with Pepys the tone is engaging and revealing - sometimes accidentally, as often in these documents Pepys is anxious to present himself in the best possible light and does not scruple to lay the blame for any mishaps on others.
VCs of the First World War
By Gliddon, Gerald
At the end of 1917, after three years of trench warfare on the Western Front, the Allied armies of Britain and France and those of their main opponent Germany had reached a point of exhaustion and hibernation. With this in mind the Germans planned an all-out offensive, Operation "Michael, " which overwhelmed the Allies and overstretched the Germans. More offensives were to follow throughout the spring, including at Aisne and Marne. It was during these bloody battles that 57 men stood out for acts of extraordinary daring and bravery. To these men the highest military honor was awarded - the Victoria Cross. This book reveals the true extent of their bravery, their backgrounds, and their lives after the war. This item is Non-Returnable.
The Spellmount Guide to London in the Second World War
By Beardon, James
During the lead up to and over the course of the Second World War, London was a city transformed as it simultaneously became the front line and the command centre of Allied operations. The scale and speed of the city's transformation has been unparalleled in London's history as the government requisitioned buildings and defences were built while bombing wrought devastation across the city, changing it forever. This book will guide the reader, as a virtual tourist - or a real one - around war-time London. Buildings that had a specific war time use or have a link to an important event that occurred during the war are revealed, along with the often secret activities, known only to a select few at the time, of the organisations who occupied them. Buildings used as air raid shelters, iconic buildings damaged by enemy bombing and how London itself changed is all brought to life.
Death at Dawn
By Jacobsen, Alf R
Hitler's desperate need for iron ore was the main reason for his attack on Norway in April 1940. The battle for Narvik's ice-free harbor soon became a crucial objective for both Allied and Axis forces. Attack at Dawn covers the two key battles that fought on 10th and 13th of April. The first battle was initiated by the British Navy, who had orders to prevent a German landing. U-boats failed to spot the patrolling British destroyer flotilla and, early in the morning on April 10th, they sank two German destroyers and six merchant ships in the harbor. The Germans retreated but, unbeknown to the British, five more destroyers were anchored nearby. Battle continued on April 13th. In total, 10 destroyers sank - only U51 survived by escaping to sea. Attack at Dawn is an epic drama which involved naval and land forces.
Strange and Obscure Stories of the Civil War
By Rowland, Tim
A quirky journey through little-known trivia and true stories from the history of the American Civil War. The Civil War tore the United States apart - but with the drama and chaos of war as front-page news, some stories of the time were forgotten. They're the sort of bizarre, outrageous, funny, or entertaining tidbits that would have gone viral on social media - if they'd had such a thing back then. Here, a newspaper columnist and a retired superintendent of the Antietam National Battlefield have collected a wide variety of tales from the time, including mistakes, misadventures and epic screw-ups you won't find in history books, including: * the monument to Union General Dan Sickles that was missing a statue because the funds for it had been stolen .
The Liberation of Paris
By Smith, Jean Edward
Prize-winning and bestselling historian Jean Edward Smith tells the dramatic story of the liberation of Paris during World War II - a triumph that was achieved through the remarkable efforts of Americans, French, and Germans, all racing to save the city from destruction.Following their breakout from Normandy in late June 1944, the Allies swept across northern France in pursuit of the German army. The Allies intended to bypass Paris and cross the Rhine into Germany, ending the war before winter set in. But as they advanced, local forces in Paris began their own liberation, defying the occupying German troops. Charles de Gaulle, the leading figure of the Free French government, urged General Dwight Eisenhower to divert forces to liberate Paris. Eisenhower's most senior staff recommended otherwise, but Ike wanted to help position de Gaulle to lead France after the war. And both men were concerned about partisan conflict in Paris that could leave the communists in control of the city and the national government, perhaps even causing a bloodbath like the Paris Commune. Neither man knew that the German commandant, Dietrich von Choltitz, convinced that the war was lost, dissembled and schemed to surrender the city to the Allies intact, defying Hitler's orders to leave it a burning ruin. In The Liberation of Paris, Jean Edward Smith puts this dramatic event in context, showing how the decision to free the city came at a heavy price: it slowed the Allied momentum and allowed the Germans to regroup. After the war German generals argued that Eisenhower's decision to enter Paris prolonged the war for another six months. Was Paris worth this price? Smith answers this question in his superb, dramatic history of one of the great events of World War II - published seventy-five years after the liberation.
Bannockburn
By Moffat, Alistair
Bestselling author Alistair Moffat offers fresh insights into one of the most famous battles in history: Bannockburn. As 8, 000 Scottish solders, most of them spearmen, faced 18, 000 English infantrymen, archers, and mounted knights on the morning of Sunday 23 June 1314, many would have thought the result a foregone conclusion. But after two days of fighting, the English were routed. Edward II fled to Dunbar and took ship for home, and only one English unit escaped from Scotland intact. The emphatic defeat of much larger English force was the moment that enabled Scotland to remain independent and pursue a different destiny. This book follows in detail the events of those two days that changed history. In addition to setting the battle within its historical and political context Alistair Moffat captures all the fear, heroism, confusion, and desperation of the fighting itself as he describes the tactics and maneuvers that led to Scottish victory.
The Ipswich Book of Days
By Field, Rachel
Taking you through the year day by day, The Ipswich Book of Days contains quirky, eccentric, shocking, amusing, and important events and facts from different periods in the history of the town. Ideal for dipping into, this addictive little book will keep you entertained and informed. Featuring hundreds of snippets of information gleaned from the vaults of Ipswich's archives, and covering the social, political, religious, agricultural, criminal, industrial, and sporting history of the region, it will delight residents and visitors alike. This item is Non-Returnable.