Books published by Biteback Publishing

In this extraordinary book, historian Tony Insall reveals how some of the most striking achievements of the Norwegian resistance were the detailed reports produced by intelligence agents living in the dangerous conditions of the country's desolate wilderness.

In the early years of the twentieth century, simmering discontent began to boil over on the island of Ireland as the nascent IRA took its guerrilla campaign against British rule to the streets. By 1921, Britain had beaten a retreat from all but a small portion of the country - and thus Northern Ireland was born.Kevin Meagher argues that partition has been an unmitigated disaster for Nationalists and Unionists alike. As the long and fraught history of British rule in Ireland staggered to a close, a better future was there for the taking but was lost amid political paralysis, while the resulting fifty years of devolution succeeded only in creating a brooding sectarian stalemate that exploded into the Troubles.In a stark but reasoned critique, Meagher traces the landmark events in Northern Ireland's century of existence, exploring the missed signals, the turning points, the principled decisions that at various stages should have been taken, as well as the raw realpolitik of how Northern Ireland has been governed over the past 100 years.Thoughtful and sometimes provocative, What a Bloody Awful Country reflects on how both Loyalists and Republicans might have played their cards differently and, ultimately, how the actions of successive British governments have amounted to a masterclass in failed statecraft.

An insidious snobbery has taken root in parts of progressive Britain. Working-class voters have flexed their political muscles and helped to change the direction of the country, but in doing so they have been met with disdain and even abuse from elites in politics, culture and business. They have been derided as uneducated, bigoted turkeys voting for Christmas, as Empire apologists patriotic to the point of delusion.At election time, we hear a lot about 'levelling up the Red Wall'. But when the votes have been counted, what can actually be done to meet the very real concerns of the 'left behind' in the UK's post-industrial towns? In these once vibrant hubs of progress, working-class voters now face the prospect of being minimised or ridiculed in cultural life, economically marginalised and abandoned educationally.In this rousing polemic, David Skelton explores the roots and reality of this new snobbery, calling for an end to the divisive culture war and the creation of a new politics of the common good, empowering workers, remaking the economy and placing communities centre stage. Above all, he argues that we now have a once-in-a-century opportunity to bring about permanent change.

Two Minutes to Midnight is a masterful survey of a pivotal year in the history of the human race; the year it nearly wiped itself out. A unique and compelling piece of narrative history detailing one of the most consequential periods in human history.

In this riveting work of narrative history, veteran reporter John Bainbridge vividly brings to life five charismatic and idiosyncratic men who, living within ninety miles of one another, changed the course of history through the invention and refinement of the repeating firearm - the precursor to today's automatic weapon.

The Road to My Daughter is both compelling and timely, as well as a thoughtful reflection on trans issues. Elisabeth's narrative illuminates what it really means to be the parent of a transgender child, how it feels to witness the physical and mental processes of transitioning, and the realities behind embarking on this journey together.

In this sparkling memoir, Annie Bracken takes readers straight to the heart of the action. How do the powerful live on Capitol Hill? What is Joe Biden really like and could he be a successful President? What is life like after the White House?

This book examines PTSD through the prism of one extraordinary man's struggle, starting with his abandonment and poverty in childhood, and accumulating throughout his service in two World Wars and their aftermath, until it reappeared in his old age as a savage tormentor.

This latest volume of Campbell's acclaimed diaries sees the author, and the country, at a profound crossroads. Somehow Campbell must emerge from the ruins and grapple with his own future; just as Britain begins its own journey into austerity and, eventually, to Brexit.

An enlightened commentary on British society in the years after the end of Empire.

The memoirs of one of the big beasts of late twentieth- century British politics.

To celebrate the centenary of the 1911 Parliament Act, John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons, instigated a series of public lectures in which current parliamentarians assessed the careers and characters of parliamentary giants. The result was a sequence of fascinating appraisals covering a distinguished but eclectic array of politicians who made a name for themselves not only in the House of Commons but also throughout the country. The subjects of the lectures came from diverse backgrounds, advocated very different political philosophies and, indeed, some make surprising bedfellows. But they all had one thing in common: driven by a set of particular beliefs, they were prepared to do whatever was necessary in pursuit of their goals. From Nicholas Soames's warm, familial tribute to his grandfather Winston Churchill to Neil Kinnock's account of an affectionate - though sometimes fraught - relationship with Michael Foot, the roll-call of both lecturers and subjects is outstanding. With his subject sitting in the audience, Tristram Hunt delivers the lecture on Tony Benn; Shirley Williams looks at the life of Nancy Astor, the first woman to take her seat in Parliament; Philip Norton and Peter Tapsell tackle the towering figures of Enoch Powell and F. E. Smith; as an authority on his subject, Kenneth Morgan discusses David Lloyd George, while fellow historian Gordon Marsden speaks on Aneurin Bevan; Douglas Hurd reflects on the life of Iain Macleod; and Andrew Adonis and John Whittingdale both provide an insider's insight into the parliamentary lives of Roy Jenkins and Margaret Thatcher. With a foreword by John Bercow and an introduction by Philip Norton, this is an impressive collection of lectures delivered by expert speakers on the most eminent of parliamentarians.

Fully updated edition of the definitive biography of the Queen of England, released to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee year.

Michael Ashcroft's new book charts Sunak's ascent from his parents' Southampton pharmacy to the University of Oxford, the City of London, Silicon Valley - and the top of British politics.

In this remarkable memoir, Milner gives a real insight into the life of a top London criminal lawyer and into the mind of his clients, along the way introducing us to some of the most colourful characters ever to appear on either side of the dock.

This book offers a timely reappraisal of Jim Callaghan's premiership and time as Leader of the Opposition in 1979-80.

This year, London's elected mayor and assembly turn twenty. But has London's mayoralty lived up to the expectations that were set for it? Have its three mayors been able to get to grips with the city's challenges? How have they responded to crises in the past - and what does the future hold?

The definitive account of the rise and fall of the ultimate narco, 'El Chapo', from the New York Times reporter whose coverage of his trial went viral.

In The Ex Men, Giles Edwards sets out to answer that question, uncovering the many ways in which former Presidents and Prime Ministers continue to affect global public life.

Special advisers are a key part of the government, yet who they are and what they do is much misunderstood despite acres of newsprint devoted to particularly high-profile members of the cohort, such as Alastair Campbell and Dominic Cummings.

Powerful, sad and painfully funny, this book brilliantly distils the highs and lows of a lifetime's experience working in the NHS.

Who are the Red Wall voters and why did they forgo their long-standing party loyalties? Did they simply lend their votes to Johnson to get Brexit done - or will he be able to win them over more permanently? And as the Labour Party licks its wounds, how were those votes thrown away and what, if anything, can be done to win them back?

The first authorised biography of one of our most controversial but fascinating politicians.

The shocking expose of an inquiry into South Africa's lion business.

The story of the struggles of an adolescent boy wrestling with his demons amidst the political and personal conflicts of the 1980s and testimony to his startling discovery that wherever you go, you find yourself.

The definitive compendium of new and little-known facts about the British royal family.