George V (Penguin Monarchs)
George V (Penguin Monarchs)

Author: David Cannadine

Publisher: Penguin UK

Published: 2014-12-04

Total Pages: 119

ISBN-13: 014197690X

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For a man with such conventional tastes and views, George V had a revolutionary impact. Almost despite himself he marked a decisive break with his flamboyant predecessor Edward VII, inventing the modern monarchy, with its emphasis on frequent public appearances, family values and duty. George V was an effective war-leader and inventor of 'the House of Windsor'. In an era of ever greater media coverage--frequently filmed and initiating the British Empire Christmas broadcast--George became for 25 years a universally recognised figure. He was also the only British monarch to take his role as Emperor of India seriously. While his great rivals (Tsar Nicolas and Kaiser Wilhelm) ended their reigns in catastrophe, he plodded on. David Cannadine's sparkling account of his reign could not be more enjoyable, a masterclass in how to write about Monarchy, that central--if peculiar--pillar of British life.

John Buchan: 28 Novels & 40+ Short Stories (Illustrated)
John Buchan: 28 Novels & 40+ Short Stories (Illustrated)

Author: John Buchan

Publisher: Good Press

Published: 2023-12-06

Total Pages: 6022

ISBN-13:

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John Buchan's collection of 28 novels and over 40 short stories, beautifully illustrated, provides readers with a captivating glimpse into the world of British literature in the early 20th century. Buchan's works are characterized by their thrilling narratives, rich descriptions of landscapes, and well-developed characters. His writing style seamlessly blends elements of adventure, mystery, and social commentary, making his stories both entertaining and thought-provoking. The inclusion of illustrations adds an extra layer of visual engagement for readers, enhancing the overall reading experience. Buchan's storytelling transports readers to a world where danger lurks around every corner, and heroes must rise to the challenge. This collection showcases Buchan's versatility as a writer and his ability to create gripping tales that stand the test of time. Fans of classic British literature will find this collection to be a treasure trove of literary gems waiting to be discovered.

Beyond the Thirty-Nine Steps
Beyond the Thirty-Nine Steps

Author: Ursula Buchan

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2019-04-18

Total Pages: 491

ISBN-13: 1408870835

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John Buchan's name is known across the world for The Thirty-Nine Steps. In the past one hundred years the classic thriller has never been out of print and has inspired numerous adaptations for film, television, radio and stage, beginning with the celebrated version by Alfred Hitchcock. Yet there was vastly more to 'JB'. He wrote more than a hundred books – fiction and non-fiction – and a thousand articles for newspapers and magazines. He was a scholar, antiquarian, barrister, colonial administrator, journal editor, literary critic, publisher, war correspondent, director of wartime propaganda, member of parliament and imperial proconsul – given a state funeral when he died, a deeply admired and loved Governor-General of Canada. His teenage years in Glasgow's Gorbals, where his father was the Free Church minister, contributed to his ease with shepherds and ambassadors, fur-trappers and prime ministers. His improbable marriage to a member of the aristocratic Grosvenor family means that this account of his life contains, at its heart, an enduring love story. Ursula Buchan, his granddaughter, has drawn on recently discovered family documents to write this comprehensive and illuminating biography. With perception, style, wit and a penetratingly clear eye, she brings vividly to life this remarkable man and his times.

The King's Grace 1910-1935
The King's Grace 1910-1935

Author: John Buchan

Publisher: Read Books Ltd

Published: 2015-06-08

Total Pages: 206

ISBN-13: 1473375223

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This book contains a fascinating treatise on the English King, Edward VII. It is not intended as a biography, but is instead an attempt to provide a picture - and some slight interpretation - of his reign. This volume will appeal to those with an interest in Edward VII and English kingship in general, and would make for a worthy addition to collections of related literature. The chapters of this book include: "The Pageant of Succession", "An Uneasy Heritage", "The Restless Years", "Descensus Averni", "Contact", "The Fortress", "The Sallies", "Surrender", "Sour-Apple Harvest", "The Changing Empire", and "A House in Order". This book was first published in 1935, and is being republished now in an affordable, modern edition. It comes complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.

Naval Policy Between the Wars, Volume I
Naval Policy Between the Wars, Volume I

Author: Stephen Roskill

Publisher: Seaforth Publishing

Published: 2016-07-30

Total Pages: 388

ISBN-13: 1473877423

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First published in 1968 and 1976, the two volumes of this work still constitute the only authoritative study of the broad geo-political, economic and strategic factors behind the inter-war development of the Royal Navy and, to a great extent, that of its principal rival, the United States Navy. Roskill conceived the work as a peacetime equivalent of the official naval histories, filling the gap between the First World War volumes and his own study of the Navy in the Second. As such it is marked by the extensive use of British and American sources, from which Roskill extracted shrewd and balanced conclusions that have stood the test of time.

A Genius for Deception
A Genius for Deception

Author: Nicholas Rankin

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2009-11-10

Total Pages: 489

ISBN-13: 0199739501

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In February 1942, intelligence officer Victor Jones erected 150 tents behind British lines in North Africa. "Hiding tanks in Bedouin tents was an old British trick," writes Nicholas Rankin. German general Erwin Rommel not only knew of the ploy, but had copied it himself. Jones knew that Rommel knew. In fact, he counted on it--for these tents were empty. With the deception that he was carrying out a deception, Jones made a weak point look like a trap. In A Genius for Deception, Nicholas Rankin offers a lively and comprehensive history of how Britain bluffed, tricked, and spied its way to victory in two world wars. As Rankin shows, a coherent program of strategic deception emerged in World War I, resting on the pillars of camouflage, propaganda, secret intelligence, and special forces. All forms of deception found an avid sponsor in Winston Churchill, who carried his enthusiasm for deceiving the enemy into World War II. Rankin vividly recounts such little-known episodes as the invention of camouflage by two French artist-soldiers, the creation of dummy airfields for the Germans to bomb during the Blitz, and the fabrication of an army that would supposedly invade Greece. Strategic deception would be key to a number of WWII battles, culminating in the massive misdirection that proved critical to the success of the D-Day invasion in 1944. Deeply researched and written with an eye for telling detail, A Genius for Deception shows how the British used craft and cunning to help win the most devastating wars in human history.

The Enchanted Glass
The Enchanted Glass

Author: Tom Nairn

Publisher: Verso Books

Published: 2011-11-07

Total Pages: 442

ISBN-13: 1844677753

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In this acclaimed study of British statehood, identity and culture, Tom Nairn deftly dispels the conviction that the Royal Family is nothing more than an amusing relic of feudalism or a mere tourist attraction. Instead, he argues that the monarchy is both apex and essence of the British state, the symbol of a national backwardness. In this fully updated edition, Nairn’s powerful and bitterly comic prose lays bare Britain’s peculiar, pseudo-modern, national identity—which remains stubbornly fixated on the Crown and its constitutional framework, the “parliamentary sovereignty” of Westminster.

The Ship of Dreams
The Ship of Dreams

Author: Gareth Russell

Publisher: Atria Books

Published: 2020-11-03

Total Pages: 448

ISBN-13: 1501176730

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This original and “meticulously researched retelling of history’s most infamous voyage” (Denise Kiernan, New York Times bestselling author) uses the sinking of the Titanic as a prism through which to examine the end of the Edwardian era and the seismic shift modernity brought to the Western world. “While there are many Titanic books, this is one readers will consider a favorite” (Voyage). In April 1912, six notable people were among those privileged to experience the height of luxury—first class passage on “the ship of dreams,” the RMS Titanic: Lucy Leslie, Countess of Rothes; son of the British Empire Tommy Andrews; American captain of industry John Thayer and his son Jack; Jewish-American immigrant Ida Straus; and American model and movie star Dorothy Gibson. Within a week of setting sail, they were all caught up in the horrifying disaster of the Titanic’s sinking, one of the biggest news stories of the century. Today, we can see their stories and the Titanic’s voyage as the beginning of the end of the established hierarchy of the Edwardian era. Writing in his signature elegant prose and using previously unpublished sources, deck plans, journal entries, and surviving artifacts, Gareth Russell peers through the portholes of these first-class travelers to immerse us in a time of unprecedented change in British and American history. Through their intertwining lives, he examines social, technological, political, and economic forces such as the nuances of the British class system, the explosion of competition in the shipping trade, the birth of the movie industry, the Irish Home Rule Crisis, and the Jewish-American immigrant experience while also recounting their intimate stories of bravery, tragedy, and selflessness. Lavishly illustrated with color and black and white photographs, this is “a beautiful requiem” (The Wall Street Journal) in which “readers get the story of this particular floating Tower of Babel in riveting detail, and with all the wider context they could want” (Christian Science Monitor).