Adolf Hitler's Great War military experiences in no way qualified him for supreme command. Yet by July 1940, under his personal leadership the Third Reich's armed forces had defeated Poland, Czechoslovakia, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium and France. The invasion of Great Britain was a distinct reality following Dunkirk. Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania had become allies along with the acquiescent military powers of Mussolini's Italy and Franco's Spain. These achievements prompted Field Marshal Willem Keitel, the Wehrmacht's Chief of Staff, to pronounce Hitler to be the Greatest Commander of all time'. Storm clouds were gathering, most notably the disastrous decision to tear up the treaty with the Soviet Union and launch Operation Barbarossa in 1941. As described in this meticulously researched and highly readable book, Hitler's blind ideology, racist hatred and single-mindedness led him and his allies inexorably to devastating defeat. How far was it good luck that gave Hitler his sensational early political and military successes? Certainly fortune played a major role in his survival from many assassination attempts and sex scandals. The author concludes, from 1941 onwards, the Fuhrer's downfall was entirely attributable to military misjudgements that he alone made. Lucky Hitler's Big Mistakes exposes the enigmatic Dictator for what he really was - incredibly lucky and militarily incompetent.

Professional values in healthcare are in a state of constant and increasingly rapid change. While all professions now emphasise teamwork and collegiality in practice, fewer are inclined to consider shared or differing values across professions. This interdisciplinary volume explains how health care professions and their values have changed over the last forty years, charting where they have come from, where they are now, and how they might develop in the future. There is coverage of a wide range of different professions within healthcare, from GPs, mental health nurses, adult nurses and pharmacists, to NHS managers and chaplains. Chapters are followed by critical responses from senior healthcare practitioners. This original and insightful book will be a valuable resource for academics, researchers, senior healthcare professionals and healthcare managers.

Written by significant researchers and practitioners within the field, this collection of key texts introduces the reader to practical theology. It critically explores the way in which the spiritual dimension of pastoral care has entered into constructive dialogue with other disciplines and ways of thinking, including psychiatry, psychology, counselling, intercultural studies, educational methodology, narrative theory and political studies.;Set within this multidisciplinary context, the individual contributions ( a selection of articles from a leading journal of pastoral theology, "Contact: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Pastoral Studies") cover a wide range of practical and theological issues that alert the reader to the spiritual dimension of pastoral care, such as bereavement, sexuality, ethics, learning disabilities, infertility, the meaning of pain, sickness and suffering and the nature of theology as a practical discipline. The book should be of interest to practitioners, researchers, students and all who have an interest in the ways in which a spiritual dimension can enhance caring practices within a multidisciplinary context.

Many of the key improvements to social conditions in the United Kingdom have been made by Christians. Most of us would be able to think of such key Anglican figures as William Wilberforce, Anthony Ashley Cooper, Earl of Shaftesbury or Dr Thomas Barnardo, but lesser known contributions were made behind the scenes by significant members of the Non-Conformist Churches. This book traces the Free Church contribution to society from 1800 to the present day. It looks at the work of campaigners, co-operative societies, philanthropists and politicians, and traces the ways in which conditions in slums, education, and industry were improved, including work with women and with black and ethnic minorities. There is a growing interest in the part the churches can play today in community development and in the building of social capital. This book will show that some of the things now seen as government initiatives had their origins in the work of Free Church pioneers.

Now a classic textbook, Practical Theology in Action offers a basic introduction for all those involved in pastoral care and in applying Christian thinking to the service of the Church and society. Using everyday stories and case histories the authors explore pastoral situations and reflect on them theologically. This new edition has been extensively revised to take into account the changes of the past ten years. The first part of the book ('The Foundations') looks at the theory of practical theology, and models for its application. The second part covers tools for practical theology; learning from experience, interdisciplinary working, theological reflection, action and spirituality; and to this has been added new material about mission in context today. "'For sheer coverage of the field, this book has no rivals'." Alan Billings, Church Times

The discussion of death is at last being brought out into the open, while the care of the dying is seen to involve more than the traditional services of doctor and priest. Facing death brings together contributors from the law, philosophy, medicine, social work, theology and religious studies to discuss issues such as hospice care, the arguments for and against euthanasia, and religious hope for eternal life. There are also accounts of recent research into 'near-death' experiences and into measuring the quality of human life. This broad, interdisciplinary approach to death in contemporary society will have a special interest for a whole range of caring professions, but, beyond that, its interest is, of course, universal.