WINNER OF THE HWA NON-FICTION CROWN A TIMES AND SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEAR 'Britain's wartime story has been told many times, but never as cleverly as this.' Dominic Sandbrook In the bleak first half of the Second World War, Britain stood alone against the Axis forces. Isolated and outmanoeuvred, it seemed as though she might fall at any moment. Only an extraordinary effort of courage - by ordinary men and women - held the line. The Second World War is the defining experience of modern British history, a new Iliad for our own times. But, as Alan Allport reveals in this, the first part of a major new two-volume history, the real story was often very different from the myth that followed it. From the subtle moral calculus of appeasement to the febrile dusts of the Western Desert, Allport interrogates every aspect of the conflict - and exposes its echoes in our own age. Challenging orthodoxy and casting fresh light on famous events from Dunkirk to the Blitz, this is the real story of a clash between civilisations that remade the world in its image.

Shortlisted for The Duke of Wellington Medal for Military History 2021 A Times History Book of the Year 'Britain's wartime story has been told many times, but never as cleverly as this' Dominic Sandbrook 'Will make you think anew not just about the war, but about the Britain and Britons that fought it' Daniel Todman 'A bracing reminder of the power of brilliant history to make us reconsider what we think we know' David Egerton In the bleak first half of the Second World War, Britain stood alone against the Axis forces. Isolated and outmanoeuvred, it seemed as though she might fall at any moment. Only an extraordinary effort of courage - by ordinary men and women - held the line. The Second World War is the defining experience of modern British history, a new Iliad for our own times. But, as Alan Allport reveals in this, the first part of a major new two-volume history, the real story was often very different from the myth that followed it. From the subtle moral calculus of appeasement to the febrile dusts of the Western Desert, Allport interrogates every aspect of the conflict - and exposes its echoes in our own age. Challenging orthodoxy and casting fresh light on famous events from Dunkirk to the Blitz, this is the real story of a clash between civilisations that remade the world in its image.

The trials, troubles and triumphs of returning home after the end of World War Two. What happened when millions of British servicemen were "demobbed"-demobilized-after World War II? Most had been absent for years, and the joy of arrival was often clouded with ambivalence, regrets, and fears. Returning soldiers faced both practical and psychological problems, from reasserting their place in the family home to rejoining a much-altered labor force. Civilians worried that their homecoming heroes had been barbarized by their experiences and would bring crime and violence back from the battlefield. Drawing on personal letters and diaries, newspapers, reports, novels, and films, Alan Allport illuminates the darker side of the homecoming experience for ex-servicemen, their families, and society at large-a gripping story that's in danger of being lost to national memory.

For a decade, Gordon Brown was British Prime Minister Tony Blair's right-hand man - the 'Iron Chancellor' who piloted the British economy through years of growth and prosperity. But behind the scenes, a bitter power struggle between the two men was rocking the foundations of the governing Labour Party. In 2007, Blair resigned, and Brown, at last, had his chance at the top job. In taking over as the Queen's First Minister, however, he had to deal with the mixed legacy left by his former boss, including Blair's controversial support for U.S. President George W. Bush's war in Iraq. ""Gordon Brown"" examines his journey from a remote Scottish parsonage to 10 Downing Street, and looks at the starkly different way Brown approaches politics compared to his more charismatic predecessor.

Each book in this series offers all the statutes, legal opinions, and studies a student needs to structure a cohesive argument on a given controversial topic. Issues are presented from multiple points of view; sidebars cite law and opinions to aid in critical analysis; paratextual questions encourage reader engagement; and all sources are fully documented and grouped by the side of the argument. Discusses limitations of free expression: Where is the line to be drawn between free expression and obscenity? How free should the press be to cover information that may benefit the public?

A social history of the ordinary British soldier during World War II "Reflects impressively wide reading, and commands respect for its shrewd judgments and lack of sentimentality."-Max Hastings, New York Review of Books "The stories of these brave but bewildered civilians in uniform are as illuminating as searchlights in a dark age of traumatic war."-Iain Finlayson, Times (London) More than three million men served in the British Army during the Second World War, the vast majority of them civilians who had never expected to become soldiers and had little idea what military life, with all its strange rituals, discomforts, and dangers, was going to be like. Alan Allport's rich and luminous social history examines the experience of the greatest and most terrible war in history from the perspective of these ordinary, extraordinary men, who were plucked from their peacetime families and workplaces and sent to fight for King and Country. Allport chronicles the huge diversity of their wartime trajectories, tracing how soldiers responded to and were shaped by their years with the British Army, and how that army, however reluctantly, had to accommodate itself to them. Touching on issues of class, sex, crime, trauma, and national identity, through a colorful multitude of fresh individual perspectives, the book provides an enlightening, deeply moving perspective on how a generation of very modern-minded young men responded to the challenges of a brutal and disorienting conflict.

Explores key issues related to U.S. immigration, such as illegal immigration and whether or not English should be the nation's official language.

Explains the 1814 Conference of Vienna, in which major European powers came together to restore the order that had been upset by the Napoleonic Wars of the previous 25 years.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees American citizens the rights of freedom of speech and of the press. When the rights to self-expression and publication clash with other rights, however, it becomes the government's job to prioritize rights and resolve the conflict. Although First Amendment rights have been negotiated constantly since their establishment, free speech controversies assume new dimensions in the age of digital media. But what is "speech" in the digital age? Are some kinds of speech worthier of protection than others? Has social media shifted the boundaries between public and private speech? Does American speech on the Internet remain protected in different nations with different laws? This updated edition of Freedom of Speech addresses these questions and discusses other recent challenges to free speech.

For more than 40 years, Jacques Chirac has been at the center of French political life. ""The Bulldozer,"" as he is known, has served in every major office of the French state, from mayor of Paris and prime minister to the presidency, which he has held since 1995. His influence in the history of modern France is surpassed only by Charles de Gaulle. But despite this impressive record, Chirac has in recent years become a controversial figure, beset by corruption scandals and political crises. As his administration struggles to deal with the problems of high unemployment, social strife, tensions over immigration, and the future of the European Union, the French are asking: Has the aging Chirac finally lost the political skills that served him so well in the past? This new book is a useful learning tool that clearly examines the complex issues and questions surrounding Chirac and his policies.

The United States was founded as, and has remained, a land of immigrants, but immigration has always proved a complex issue for the country. Today, America's immigration policy is surrounded by controversy. While some Americans appreciate the cultural and intellectual contributions of new citizens, others fear the country does not have the resources to support a continuous influx of immigrants. There is concern about the cost and danger of illegal immigration, the economic strain of legal immigration, and the question of whether to make English the official language of the United States. This second edition of ""Immigration Policy"" has been updated to cover new controversies and include up-to-date statistics on this perennially controversial issue.

Presents arguments for and against the United States' role as global policeman, the reduction of our nuclear arsenal, and the need for a ballistic missile defense shield.