Genocide is a topic beset by ambiguities over meaning and double standards. In this stimulating and gripping history, William Rubinstein sets out to clarify the meaning of the term genocide and its historical evolution, and provides a working definition that informs the rest of the book. He makes the important argument that each instance of genocide is best understood within a particular historical framework and provides an original chronology of these distinct frameworks. In the final part of the book he critically examines a number of alleged past and recent genocides: from native Americans, slavery, the Irish famine, homosexuals and gypsies in the Nazi concentration camps, Yugoslavia, Rwanda through to the claims of pro-lifers and anti-abortionists.

We still do not know for certain: Who shot JFK? Was their a conspiracy, and no lone gunman? Who did the 'Jack the Ripper' murders? Who wrote the 'Shake-speare' plays? Did Richard II murder the Princes in the Tower? Did Jesus marry and survive the Crucifixion? What are the ancient mysteries of the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx? Was the man calling himself Rudolf Hess and who landed in Scotland in the Second World War really Hitler's Deputy, or a deceptive double? Here, a leading historian asks questions, explores possible answers, and presents a fresh view of these great and unresolved mysteries.This is a fascinating and objective series of enquiries. The distinguished author evaluates what evidence exists, and the many and varied theories offered on each unsolved but nagging mystery.The book goes behind the scenes to examine much that remains in the shadows. He enquires about clandestine intrigues, whitewashed evidence, fraudulent claims, and much that many academic historians have previously ignored.Professor Rubinstein reaches some quite unexpected conclusions.

For many intelligent people, the stuff of history does not consist of the kind of dry-as-dust investigations of diplomatic, economic, or political history that most university historians research and write about, but the famous topics of "history's mysteries"- who was Jack the Ripper? Was there a conspiracy to kill President Kennedy? Did Richard III murder the Princes in the Tower? What are the mysteries of the ancient Pyramids? Not only have a great many books and articles been written on these and similar topics by so-called "amateur historians," but they have generated societies, conferences, newsletters, and television programmes. Many people who are not academic historians take a keen interest in these topics, and have in some cases made themselves real experts on them, with interesting theories of their own. Despite all of this, however, these topics are virtually ignored by academic historians and can be treated with contempt. In Shadow Pasts, William D. Rubinstein a well-known and widely published history professor, examines seven of the most famous and interesting topics which have been discussed, debated, examined, and written about by "amateur historians. Each of these mysteries and the theories surrounding them are examined in detail, with Professor Rubinstein presenting his own original and sometimes surprising conclusions about what really happened.

Genocide is a topic beset by ambiguities over meaning and double standards. In this stimulating and gripping history, William Rubinstein sets out to clarify the meaning of the term genocide and its historical evolution, and provides a working definition that informs the rest of the book. He makes the important argument that each instance of genocide is best understood within a particular historical framework and provides an original chronology of these distinct frameworks. In the final part of the book he critically examines a number of alleged past and recent genocides: from native Americans, slavery, the Irish famine, homosexuals and gypsies in the Nazi concentration camps, Yugoslavia, Rwanda through to the claims of pro-lifers and anti-abortionists.

For many intelligent people, the stuff of history does not consist of the kind of dry-as-dust investigations of diplomatic, economic, or political history that most university historians research and write about, but the famous topics of historys mysteries- who was Jack the Ripper? Was there a conspiracy to kill President Kennedy? Did Richard III murder the Princes in the Tower? What are the mysteries of the ancient Pyramids? Not only have a great many books and articles been written on these and similar topics by so-called amateur historians, but they have generated societies, conferences, newsletters, and television programmes. Many people who are not academic historians take a keen interest in these topics, and have in some cases made themselves real experts on them, with interesting theories of their own. Despite all of this, however, these topics are virtually ignored by academic historians and can be treated with contempt. In Shadow Pasts, William D. Rubinstein a well-known and widely published history professor, examines seven of the most famous and interesting topics which have been discussed, debated, examined, and written about by amateur historians. Each of these mysteries and the theories surrounding them are examined in detail, with Professor Rubinstein presenting his own original and sometimes surprising conclusions about what really happened.

The great man's career was riddled with contradictions. This new book highlights these, and shows the difficulties he experienced as well as his ultimate successes. Countless books have been written on Sir Winston Churchill. But little or nothing has been said about the many contradictory and anomalous positions Churchill took throughout his career. Some of these stances were the opposite of what someone from his elite background and political viewpoints might have been expected to take. They often had surprising results. This work examines the most important of these contradictory positions - his extreme stances on Bolshevism and Nazism; on the Jews and Zionism; on the British Empire; and on the critically important Anglo-American alliance and the role of the United States. On most of these issues, Churchill was in a minority in his party - which he changed more than once - and in a highly visible way which threatened his political career. He held his changing opinions resolutely and eloquently - with courage, conviction, and independence. Most notably, he saved British democracy and the freedom of other nations from the terrors of Nazism in winning the Second World War. Yet his career was no easy ride, and the contradictions in his life tell us much. This is an important new work on Britain's 'man of the century'.

A comprehensive study of Britain's 250 richest people in history, from the time of William the Conqueror to the present. In this book, Philip Beresford, the author of The Sunday Times annual 'Rich List' and history expert William D. Rubinstein, have turned their attention to the wealthiest individuals in British history, revealing how they made their fortunes, the role played by luck, contacts and violence, and how successful they were in hanging on to their gains. People like: - William of Warenne, the Earl of Surrey in the 1050s, who if he were alive today would be worth nearly GBP74bn - over three times richer than Britain's current richest man (steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal). - Archbishop Thomas Beckett, who took 250 servants with him on a visit to Paris in 1158, and was worth over GBP24bn. Not that his fortune was much use when he was murdered in his own cathedral on the orders of Henry II. - Robert Spencer, forebear of Princess Diana, who made a fortune in the wool trade, owned vast tracts of land in the colony of Virginia. and accumulated a fortune equivalent to GBP19bn in today's money.- John Scott, a celebrated gambler whose skills and luck helped him to a GBP500,000 (GBP3.1bn) fortune. "As rich as Scott" was a popular saying of eighteenth century society. The authors provide a fascinating account of personal wealth and influence, noting how, throughout history, the opportunities for aggrandising wealth have been changed by technology, demographics, taxation, politics and war. If you are interested in business, society and the shifting patterns of advantage then you will find this book absorbing, intriguing and insightful.

Who wrote the works of Shakespeare? Revealing newly discovered evidence, John Casson and William D. Rubinstein definitively answer this question, presenting the case that the man from Stratford simply did not have the education, cultural background and breadth of life experience necessary for him to write the plays traditionally attributed to him. Instead, the most credible candidate is Sir Henry Neville, who certainly did have all the necessary qualifications. A colourful Renaissance man educated at Merton College, Oxford, Neville's life experience precisely matches that revealed in the plays. Casson and Rubinstein take us on a breath-taking journey of discovery through the development of Shakespeare's plays and poetry, compellingly drawing close parallels between the works and events in Neville's life. They reveal how Neville's annotated library books, manuscripts, notebooks and letters show he was the hidden author, who survived dangerous political times by keeping his authorship secret. The book contains a great deal of remarkable new evidence, expertly presented, that will challenge anyone's ideas about who really wrote the Shakespeare plays.

This comprehensive study describes the major political events of the twentieth century in Britain in a cogent, lucid way. William D. Rubinstein presents the history, key personnel, problems and achievements of Britain's administrations, from Lord Salisbury's government in 1900 to Tony Blair's 'Cool Britannia'. Ideal for both students and general readers, Rubinstein's book provides a detailed examination of Britain's political evolution in the twentieth century.