A recent public debate about the death of London's gay nightlife has focused on a few high-profile spaces. Commentators have often interpreted the threats or reasons for venue closures in overly simplistic terms. They have largely ignored the eclectic range of spaces and events that have comprised the capital's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer scenes, frequently relying on anecdotal evidence and lacking understanding of urban processes. In this timely, compelling and provocative con...
____________________NOW OUT IN CINEMAS, STARRING COLIN FIRTH, MATTHIAS SCHOENAERTS AND LEA SÉYDOUX 'It takes you through each nail-biting moment . . . heart-breaking, humane and, at times, all too vivid. I've rarely read such a gripping work of non-fiction' COLIN FIRTH____________________At 11.30 a.m. on Saturday 12 August 2000, two massive explosions roared through the shallow Arctic waters of the Barents Sea. The Kursk, pride of the Northern Fleet and the largest attack submarine in the world,...
Assessing Political Representation in Europe
It has long been realized that democratic governance requires a two-way flow of influence. Governments must be able to respond to what people want and people must be able to react to what governments do. These mechanisms of democratic governance have contributed to two research traditions: one, the responsible party approach, views policy change as a consequence of 'electoral turnover'; and the other, the dynamic representation approach, views policy change as occurring in 'rational anticipation...
Rene Binet, mort dans un accident de voiture le jour de son 44e anniversaire, le 16 octobre 1957, fut un militant "socialiste raciste", comme il se qualifiait. Tres preoccupe par les questions sociales dans sa jeunesse - il fut egalement syndicaliste -, il pensa trouver des solutions dans le marxisme. Membre des Jeunesses communistes, il rejoint, apres en avoir ete exclu, la mouvance trotzkyste. Conquis par l'ideal fasciste, il s'engage a partir des annees 1940 parmi les combattants de l'ordre n...
'I can’t tell you how refreshing it is in these polarised times to read a book on politics that doesn’t have an axe to grind . . . an essential read.' The Sunday Times'Subtle, sophisticated . . . compellingly told . . . This is a gentle and intelligent book, refreshingly unpolemical and reflective.' Observer Book of the WeekIn this compelling and essential book, Jason Cowley, editor-in-chief of the New Statesman, examines contemporary England through a handful of the key news stories from recent...
WINNER OF THE PEN ACKERLEY PRIZE'Remarkable, moving, illuminating. A memoir of cauterising honesty. This is a book that deserves to be widely read' SpectatorAlison Light met the radical social historian, Raphael Samuel, in London in 1986. Twenty years her senior, Raphael was a charismatic figure on the British Left, utterly driven by his work and by a commitment to collective politics. Within a year they were married. Within ten, Raphael would be dead. Theirs was an attraction of opposites -...
The explosive, untold story of how Russia mastered the art and science of targeted assassination 'A real life thriller, packed with characters that even John le Carre couldn't dream of. If this doesn't scare you, then you're not paying attention.' Oliver Bullough 'Brilliantly and bravely researched, this book lays bare the brutal and murderous truth' Jon Snow of Channel 4 News 'A spellbinding and heart-in-your-throat true story of Russian money and serial...
This punchy and provocative book asks a simple but overlooked question: why do we have the political views that we do? Offering a lively and original analysis of five worldviews - conservatism, national populism, liberalism, the new left and social democracy - Thomas Prosser argues that our views tend to satisfy self-interest, albeit indirectly, and that progressive worldviews are not as altruistic as their adherents believe. But What's in it for me? is far from pessimistic. Prosser contends th...
History has known no monarch like her.She has travelled farther than all her predecessors put together and lived longer than any of them. She has known more historic figures than anyone alive - from Churchill to Mandela, de Gaulle to Obama.Now, the distinguished royal writer Robert Hardman has been granted rare and privileged access to the world of Queen Elizabeth II to produce this enthralling new portrait of one of the most popular public figures on Earth.Only one other monarch - Victoria - ha...
Ranging from the mid-19th century to the present, and from Edinburgh to Plymouth, this powerful collection explores the significance of locality in queer space and experiences in modern British history. The chapters cover a broad range of themes from migration, movement and multiculturalism; the distinctive queer social and political scenes of different cities; and the ways in which places have been reimagined through locally led community history projects. The book challenges traditional LGBTQ...
'One of the most important books I've read in years' Brian EnoWe are losing the commons. Austerity and neoliberal policies have depleted our shared wealth; our national utilities have been sold off to foreign conglomerates, social housing is almost non-existent, our parks are cordoned off for private events and our national art galleries are sponsored by banks and oil companies. This plunder deprives us all of our common rights, recognized as far back as the Magna Carta and the Charter of the Fo...
Vulcan B Mk2: 1955-2015 (Historic Military Aircraft)
by David W. Fildes
Published in partnership with The Sun, and packed with stunning photographs, this fully illustrated book will be a celebration and fantastic tribute to the extraordinary achievements of Gareth Southgate, Harry Kane and the young lions that represented us so proudly in Russia. England's Heroes charts the extraordinary turnaround in the fortunes of the nation's football team, starting with Gareth Southgate's surprise appointment, a difficult qualifying campaign, and a public seemingly un...
The Queen was Britain's longest-reigning monarch and one of the most famous women in the world. But what was she really like? This enthralling story of the life of Queen Elizabeth II is full of photographs and facts that capture the drama and grandeur of her reign, from her childhood during the Second World War and her coronation to the very last days of her reign. Perfect for older fans of Little People, BIG DREAMS
In his explosive and revealing new book, Mark Curtis reasons that Britain is a 'rogue state', often a violator of international law and a systematic condoner of human rights abuses, as well as a key ally of many repressive regimes. Curtis argues that under the Blair government, Britain has become a champion of a form of globalisation that is increasing the takeover of the global economy by big business, and far from changing course post-September 11th, British policies are partly responsible for...
The History of Live Music in Britain, Volume III, 1985-2015 (Ashgate Popular and Folk Music)
by Martin Cloonan, Simon Frith, and Emma Webster
To date there has been a significant gap in existing knowledge about the social history of music in Britain from 1950 to the present day. The three volumes of Live Music in Britain address this gap and do so through a unique prism—that of live music. The key theme of the books is the changing nature of the live music industry in the UK, focused upon popular music but including all musical genres. Via this focus, the books offer new insights into a number of other areas including the relationship...
'Much bigger and more ambitious than a first-person "rise and fall" ... Great vignettes and classy analysis from the man who until a year ago sat at the top of the diplomatic tree ... There is nothing dusty or dry in his account of dealing with the twin forces of Boris and Donald, and how they've shaped politics - and his life' Guardian @realDonaldTrump: 'The wacky ambassador that the UK foisted on the United States is not someone we are thrilled with, a very stupid guy .....
'A masterclass in spotting the early signs of a crisis' Nouriel Roubini'This is the historical perspective we need' John Kay'A first point of entry for anybody who wants to learn how the world sleep-walked into multiple crashes' Daron Acemoglu'Fascinating, well-written and authoritative' Tim Harford-----------------------------------------------------------------The global economy has weathered the most tumultuous century in modern financial history. Since the Wall Street Crash in 1929, financia...
Prince Charles: The passions and paradoxes of an impossible life is the first major biography of Prince Charles in more than two decades, with new insights into his family and his two marriages, from the bestselling author of Elizabeth the Queen.'Brilliant, startling. The royal biography everyone's talking about' Daily Mail Drawing on extensive access to the Royal Family's inner circle, Sally Bedell Smith delivers unprecedented insights into Prince Charles, a man who possesses a fiercely indepe...
Tradition, Literature and Politics in East-Central Europe (Routledge Histories of Central and Eastern Europe)
by Carl Tighe
Milan Kundera warned that in in the states of East-Central Europe, attitudes to the west and the idea of ‘Europe’ were complex and could even be hostile. But few could have imagined how the collapse of communism and membership of the EU would confront these countries with a life that was suddenly and disconcertingly ‘modern’ and which challenged sustaining traditions in literature, culture, politics and established views on identity. Since the countries of East-Central Europe joined the Europe...
The European Union After Brexit
The European Union after Brexit addresses the forces and mechanisms at work during an unprecedented transformation of the European polity. How will the EU operate without one of its key diplomatic and international military partners? What will happen to its priorities, internal balance(s) of power and legislation without the reliably liberal and Eurosceptic United Kingdom? In general, what happens when an 'ever closer union' founded on a virtuous circle of economic, social, and political integra...
Late Imperial Russia
Unrivalled collection of contemporary British scholarship on the question of the stability of late imperial Russia; Useful summary of the historiography of the topics covered, including political, economic, social, cultural, and international history; Contains original accounts of some of the intellectuals of the time: Barnett's study of Tugan-Baranovsky and the late imperial economy; Frame's account of the theatrical impresarios; White's examination of M. N. Pokrovskii; Students will particular...