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Books > History > World history > From 1900
In 1974, the Brazilian sports official Joao Havelange was elected
FIFA's president in a two-round election, defeating the incumbent
Stanley Rous. The story told by Havelange himself describes a
private odyssey in which the protagonist crisscrosses two thirds of
the world canvassing for votes and challenging the institutional
status quo. For many scholars, Havelange's triumph changed FIFA's
(International Federation of Football Association) identity,
gradually turning it into a global and immensely wealthy
institution. Conversely, the election can be analyzed as a
historical event. It can be thought of as a political window by
means of which the international dynamic of a specific moment in
the Cold War can be perceived. In this regard, this book seeks to
understand which actors were involved in the election, how the
networks were shaped, and which political agents were directly
engaged in the campaign.
How does one play bridge in a gas mask? Or enjoy motoring without
consuming petrol? Or deal with a nationwide shortage of pea-sticks?
For this compact little book Heath Robinson joined forces with
writer Cecil Hunt to show civilians 'how to make the best of
things' during the air raids, rationing, allotment tending and
blackouts of the Second World War. The result is a warm celebration
of the British population's ability to 'make do and mend'.
"Don't be too ready to listen to stories told by attractive women.
They may be acting under orders." This was only one of the many
warnings given to the 30,000 British troops preparing to land in
the enemy territory of Nazi Germany nine-and-a-half months after
D-Day. The newest addition to the Bodleian Library's bestselling
series of wartime pamphlets, "Instructions for British Servicemen
in Germany, 1944" opens an intriguing window into the politics and
military stratagems that brought about the end of World War
II.
The pamphlet is both a succinct survey of German politics, culture,
and history and a work of British propaganda. Not only does the
pamphlet cover general cultural topics such as food and drink,
currency, and social customs, but it also explains the effect of
years of the war on Germans and their attitudes toward the British.
The book admonishes, "The Germans are not good at controlling their
feelings. They have a streak of hysteria. You will find that
Germans may often fly into a passion if some little thing goes
wrong." The mix of humor and crude stereotypes--"If you have to
give orders to German civilians, give them in a firm, military
manner. The German civilian is used to it and expects it"--in the
text make this pamphlet a stark reminder of the wartime fears and
hopes of the British.
By turns a manual on psychological warfare, a travel guide, and a
historical survey, "Instructions for British Servicemen in Germany,
1944" offers incomparable insights into how the British, and by
extension the Allied forces, viewed their fiercest enemy on the eve
of its defeat.
Donald Barnard came to England from St Lucia to join the RAF as a
bomber pilot. On his second tour of operations, he was shot down
over northern France in September 1942. He was rewarded with the
Distinguished Flying Cross whilst missing in action. Donald evaded
capture; assisted to Spain by an escape network, and later compiled
a detailed diary of his entire evasion exploits. Posted to test fly
Spitfires, flying in excess of 1,000 individual aircraft. Barnard
then moved to the Far East supply dropping in 1945. In Burma
disapproving of the delay in recovering the emaciated allied POWs,
he decided to take an aircraft without authority. 25 prisoners were
recovered from Bankok to Rangoon. After a full Court Martial, he
was dismissed from the RAF. He flew civilian aircraft after the war
in Australia and in Britain, joining No.2 Civil Anti Aircraft
Co-operation Unit in Norfolk, 1953. Flying ended for him in 1955,
and he died in 1997 at the age of 79. Rarely has the opportunity
been available to reproduce from a diary such a personal account of
evasion. A bomber and Spitfire pilot, Court Martialled for the
rescue of Japanese held emaciated allied prisoners of war, creates
a unique career story supported by French resistance sources
original photographs.
A Journey with Margaret Thatcher is an extraordinary insider's
account of British foreign policy under Margaret Thatcher by one of
her key advisers. Providing a closeup view of the Iron Lady in
action, former high-ranking diplomat Robin Renwick examines her
diplomatic successes - including the defeat of aggression in the
Falklands, what the Americans felt to be the excessive influence
she exerted on Ronald Reagan, her special relationship with Mikhail
Gorbachev and contribution to the ending of the Cold War, the
Anglo-Irish agreement, her influence with de Klerk in South Africa
and relationship with Nelson Mandela - and what she herself
acknowledged as her spectacular failure in resisting German
reunification. He describes at first hand her often turbulent
relationship with other European leaders and her arguments with her
Cabinet colleagues about European monetary union (in which regard,
he contends, her arguments have stood the test of time better and
are highly relevant to the crisis in the eurozone today). Finally,
the book tells of her bravura performance in the run up to the Gulf
War, her calls for intervention in Bosnia and the difficulties she
created for her successor. While her faults were on the same scale
as her virtues, Margaret Thatcher succeeded in her mission to
restore Britain's standing and influence, in the process becoming a
cult figure in many other parts of the world.
In today's world, we can point to many international disputes and
interstate conflicts fueled by past events. Historical resentments
or memories of past suffering or fame are often used to justify
political, economic and even territorial demands. Inter-state
disputes and historical conflicts should be understood as evidence
of political and social tensions related to active, serious
differences in the assessment of the common past. The book explains
the role of such conflicts in international relations and suggests
ways of classifying them. It presents examples of the
internationally relevant instrumentalisation of history from
different regions of the world and outlines ways of overcoming
them.
In the history of education, the question of how computers were
introduced into European classrooms has so far been largely
neglected. This edited volume strives to address this gap. The
contributions shed light on the computerization of education from a
historical perspective, by attending closely to the different
actors involved - such as politicians, computer manufacturers,
teachers, and students -, political rationales and ideologies, as
well as financial, political, or organizational structures and
relations. The case studies highlight differences in political and
economic power, as well as in ideological reasoning and the
priorities set by different stakeholders in the process of
introducing computers into education. However, the contributions
also demonstrate that simple cold war narratives fail to capture
the complex dynamics and entanglements in the history of computers
as an educational technology and a subject taught in schools. The
edited volume thus provides a comprehensive historical
understanding of the role of education in an emerging digital
society.
"Fascinating and alarmingly true."-Time Magazine. The true story of
a plot to overthrow Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the nearly
forgotten Marine who saved American Democracy. Many simply don't
know that in 1933, a group of wealthy industrialists-working
closely with groups like the K.K.K. and the American Liberty
League-planned to overthrow the U.S. government and run F.D.R. out
of office in a fascist coup. Americans may be shocked to learn of
the plan to turn unhappy war veterans into American "brown shirts,"
depose F.D.R., and stop the New Deal. They asked Medal of Honor
recipient and Marine Major General Smedley Darlington Butler to
work with them and become the "first American Caesar." Fortunately,
Butler was a true patriot. Instead of working for the fascist coup,
he revealed the plot to journalists and to Congress. Historian
Julies Archer here offers a compelling account of a plot that would
have turned FDR into fascist puppet, threatened American democracy
and changed the course of history. This book not only reveals the
truth behind this shocking episode in history, but also tells the
story of the man whose courage and bravery prevented it from
happening. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are
proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in
history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his
henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil
War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome,
medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title
we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national
bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are
sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise
find a home.
To understand the current situation in Egypt it is necessary to see
it in a broader historical perspective and examine the evolution of
Egypt since Nasser's 1952 revolution. No one is better placed to
offer this perspective than Aly El-Samman, previously a close
advisor to Anwar Sadat and now a promoter of intergenerational
dialogue to the young pioneers of today's revolution. In Egypt from
One Revolution to Another, El-Samman offers a rigorous and vivid
analysis of these last sixty years of Egyptian history. His memoir,
rich in revelations and anecdotes, gives us a rare insight into the
thinking of some of the most famous figures of the 20th century,
including the leaders of the existentialist movement in France.
But, more importantly, it sets out a real strategy of peace for the
shores of Mediterranean Sea and far beyond.
Coral Comes High is Captain George P. Hunt's account of what
happened to himself and his company during the initial stages of
the Peleliu invasion by the US Marines during World War 2. The
company sustains terrible casualties and is isolated in a seemingly
hopeless position for a nightmare forty-eight hours. Outnumbered
and outgunned by the enemy, they beat off all attacks and seize the
Point with a courage which is at the same time matter-of-fact and
almost superhuman.
On the seventy-fifth anniversary, the authors of Pulitzer Prize
finalist The Eleventh Day unravel the mysteries of Pearl Harbor to
expose the scapegoating of the admiral who was in command the day
2,000 Americans died, report on the continuing struggle to restore
his lost honor--and clear President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the
charge that he knew the attack was coming. The Japanese onslaught
on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 devastated Americans and
precipitated entry into World War II. In the aftermath, Admiral
Husband Kimmel, Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet, was
relieved of command, accused of negligence and dereliction of
duty--publicly disgraced. But the Admiral defended his actions
through eight investigations and for the rest of his long life. The
evidence against him was less than solid. High military and
political officials had failed to provide Kimmel and his Army
counterpart with vital intelligence. Later, to hide the biggest
U.S. intelligence secret of the day, they covered it up. Following
the Admiral's death, his sons--both Navy veterans--fought on to
clear his name. Now that they in turn are dead, Kimmel's grandsons
continue the struggle. For them, 2016 is a pivotal year. With
unprecedented access to documents, diaries and letters, and the
family's cooperation, Summers' and Swan's search for the truth has
taken them far beyond the Kimmel story--to explore claims of
duplicity and betrayal in high places in Washington. A Matter of
Honor is a provocative story of politics and war, of a man willing
to sacrifice himself for his country only to be sacrificed himself.
Revelatory and definitive, it is an invaluable contribution to our
understanding of this pivotal event. The book includes forty
black-and-white photos throughout the text.
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