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Books > Language & Literature > Biography & autobiography > Historical, political & military
Jacob Rees-Mogg is one of the most prominent and controversial
figures in contemporary British politics. He is a man who divides
opinion in his own party, in Parliament and across the country. An
arch-Brexiteer with significant business interests and a large
personal fortune, he has long been a vocal critic of the European
Union and of Prime Minister Theresa May's attempts to negotiate a
Brexit deal. As chairman of the powerful anti-EU organisation the
European Research Group, he has also been a thorn in the side of
those seeking to dilute Brexit. While many people mock him for his
impeccable manners and traditional attitudes - he has been dubbed
`the Honourable Member for the eighteenth century' - an equally
great number applaud him for his apparent conviction politics.
Undoubtedly, Rees-Mogg stands out among the current crop of MPs and
his growing influence cannot be ignored. In this wide-ranging
unauthorised biography of the Conservative Member of Parliament for
North East Somerset, Michael Ashcroft, bestselling author of Call
Me Dave: The Unauthorised Biography of David Cameron, turns his
attention to one of the most intriguing politicians of our time.
Born with motor impairment, Sarwono Kusumaatmadja grew up with low
self-esteem. Yet, within this awkward, shy boy lay a steely resolve
to overcome his weaknesses. It was this same resolve that propelled
him to study at high school in the United Kingdom, thousands of
miles from his native land. Navigating life on his own in the UK
forged Sarwono into an independent and resilient individual; one
who never flinched in the face of challenges, but also one who
never wanted to play the hero either. His unique character and
integrity acted like a magnet for opportunities back home in
Indonesia. He was chosen to be Chairman of the University Student
Council of the Bandung Institute of Technology even though he did
not campaign for it. And when he made it into the national
parliament, it was at the behest of the military. He then became
Secretary General of Golkar, the country's ruling party, without
having to pull any strings. In taking on all the opportunities that
came his way, Sarwono remained true to himself, which later meant
saying no to President Soeharto when the latter tried to recruit
him to be part of his inner circle.
Again available in paperback is Eric Sevareid's widely
acclaimed Not So Wild a Dream. In this brilliant first-person
account of a young journalist's experience during World War II,
Sevareid records both the events of the war and the development of
journalistic strategies for covering international affairs. He also
recalls vividly his own youth in North Dakota, his decision to
study journalism, and his early involvement in radio reporting
during the beginnings of World War II.
The gripping, vividly told story of the largest POW escape in the
Second World War - organized by an Australian bank clerk, a British
jazz pianist and an American spy. In August 1944 the most
successful POW escape of the Second World War took place - 106
Allied prisoners were freed from a camp in Maribor, in present-day
Slovenia. The escape was organized not by officers, but by two
ordinary soldiers: Australian Ralph Churches (a bank clerk before
the war) and Londoner Les Laws (a jazz pianist by profession), with
the help of intelligence officer Franklin Lindsay. The American was
on a mission to work with the partisans who moved like ghosts
through the Alps, ambushing and evading Nazi forces. How these
three men came together - along with the partisans - to plan and
execute the escape is told here for the first time. The Greatest
Escape, written by Ralph Churches' son Neil, takes us from Ralph
and Les's capture in Greece in 1941 and their brutal journey to
Maribor, with many POWs dying along the way, to the horror of
seeing Russian prisoners starved to death in the camp. The book
uncovers the hidden story of Allied intelligence operations in
Slovenia, and shows how Ralph became involved. We follow the
escapees on a nail-biting 160-mile journey across the Alps, pursued
by German soldiers, ambushed and betrayed. And yet, of the 106 men
who escaped, 100 made it to safety. Thanks to research across seven
countries, The Greatest Escape is no longer a secret. It is one of
the most remarkable adventure stories of the last century.
Ulysses S. Grant's memoirs begins with the author's formative years
and his military service, continuing through the U.S. Civil War and
the author's time as President of the United States. Various
battles such as Monterrey, and sieges such as Vera Cruz, are
recounted in this volume, with Mexico's actions and abilities as an
enemy much detailed. Grant is keen to narrate the experience from
his perspective as a junior officer, bringing perspective of both
the strategic planning and the tactical maneuvers such conflicts
entailed together with the morale of the rank and file ahead of
each skirmish. Together with U.S. Grant's own recollections we find
appendices in the form of original correspondences sent and
received regarding the Union and Confederate forces. At the time he
authored his memoirs in the mid-1880s, Grant was determined in
spite of illness to add to the burgeoning historical narrative as a
reliable source. With this autobiography, it is indisputable that
he achieves this goal.
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