Historical & Political Biographies

Written in 1889 (CW 5)Steiner met Nietzsche's work in 1889. At once fascinated by Nietszche's style and repelled by certain pathological aspects of his consciousness, Steiner recognized Nietzsche's spiritual preeminence as a "fighter for freedom."Six years later, as a result of meeting Nietzsche's sister, Steiner encountered the dying philosopher himself. Thereafter, he spent several weeks in the Nietzsche archives. The result was this book, an essential stepping stone toward an understanding of anthroposophy.This book is a translation from German of Friedrich Nietzsche, ein Kämpfer gegen seine Zeit (GA 5).

The Service du Travail Obligatoire (STO), or the Compulsory Work Service, program remains one of the most unsettling features of France's history in World War II. Established by the Vichy government in 1943, this initiative saw young men provide forced labor, primarily within France or Germany, in support of the Third Reich's war effort. In this illuminating translation of the journal of Jean Louis Mary Pasquiers, a former teacher and forced laborer from Paris, Passing Misery documents Pasquiers' life within war-torn Europe, in unwilling service to the Nazi regime. By exploring Pasquiers' personal story, this book offers an unrivalled insight into the complexities of war-time collaboration, resistance, and moral culpability, shedding light on one of the darkest chapters in European history.

Pre-order now and discover a story 400 years in the making - the definitive biography of the man who dominated England in the first half of the sixteenth century__________Born into the English Wars of the Roses, educated in the European Renaissance, enthralled by the Age of Exploration and ultimately destroyed by Henry VIII, Thomas More is one of the most famous - or notorious - figures in English history.Is he a saintly scholar, the visionary author of Utopia and an inspiration for statesmen, socialists and intellectuals even today?Or is he the stubborn zealot famously portrayed in Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall?Thomas More: A Life is the definitive biography of this hypnotic, flawed figure. Overturning many received interpretations of the sixteenth century, Joanne Paul shows Thomas More to have been an intellectual and political giant of his age, central to the making of modern Europe. Based on new archival discoveries and drawing on more than a decade's research into More's life and work, this is a richly-told story of family, faith and politics, and a compelling portrait of a man who, more than four hundred years after his death, remains the most brilliant mind of the Renaissance.__________

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

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.

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.

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

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

Steven M. Gillon, New York Times bestselling author of America's Reluctant Prince, is back with the story of how WWII shaped the characters and politics of seven American presidents. World War II loomed over the twentieth century, transforming every level of American society and international relationships and searing itself onto the psyche of an entire generation, including that of seven American presidents: John F. Kennedy, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush.  The lessons of World War II, more than party affiliation or ideology, defined the presidencies of these seven men. They returned home determined to confront any force that threatened to undermine the war’s hard-won ideals, each with their own unique understanding of patriotism, sacrifice, and America’s role in global politics. In Presidents at War, Gillon examines what these men took away from the war and how they then applied it to Cold War policies that proceeded to change America, and the world, forever. A nuanced and deeply researched exploration of the lives, philosophies, and legacies of seven remarkable men, Presidents at War deftly argues that the lessons learned by these postwar presidents continue to shape the landscape upon which current, and future, presidents stand today.