Politics

News from Somewhere tells the story of a philosopher's attempt to settle in rural Wiltshire. In a style that is both deeply felt and full of humour, Roger Scruton describes the people and animals around his farm, the condition of rural society, the impact of recent disasters, the eccentric pursuits and hard-won consolat... read more

The first wholly accurate and authorised record of Nelson Mandela's most inspiring and historically important quotations.
Nelson Mandela by Himself is the complete and fully authorised book of quotations from one of the great leaders of our time. This definitive collection - gathered from privileged access to Mandela's... read more

Aung Sun Suu Kyi was confined to house arrest in 1989 by the junta in Burma and since then she has been cut off from the world outside. Few people have seen or spoken to her during this time, yet despite her isolation and forced reticence, Suu Kyi - leader of Burma’s National League for Democracy and winner of the Nobel... read more

I have enjoyed reading Struggle for Freedom, a biography of Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi by Jesper Bengtsson. Suu Kyi has had a rich and politically diverse life living with the influence of being the daughter of Burma’s liberation hero Aung San. He was murdered in the 1940’s following the liberation of Burma f... read more

In mid-2008, after thirty years of increasingly tyrannical rule, Robert Mugabe lost an election. Instead of conceding defeat, his supporters launched a brutal campaign of terror. Zimbabweans called it, simply, The Fear. Peter Godwin travels, at considerable risk, to see the havoc raging at the heart of his country, but wh... read more

Perhaps no one in the twentieth century had a greater long-term impact on world history than Deng Xiaoping. And no scholar of contemporary East Asian history and culture is better qualified than Ezra Vogel to disentangle the many contradictions embodied in the life and legacy of China's boldest strategist. Once described by ... read more

Timber is a vital resource that is all around us. It is the house that shelters us, the furniture we relax in, the books we read, the paper we print, the disposable diapers for our babies and the boxes that contain our cereal, detergent and new appliances. The way we produce and consume timber, however, is changing. With inte... read more

What are the lives of modern day pirates like outside of the attack skiffs? How do they spend their money? What clothes do they wear and what is their drug of choice?
Deadly Waters takes us to the heart of Somalia, where Jay Bahadur, the intrepid 25-year-old author, has ventured where most journalists fear to tread. As... read more

China will replace the United States as the world's dominant power. In so doing, it will not become more western but the world will become more Chinese.
Jacques argues that we cannot understand China in western terms but only through its own history and culture. To this end, he introduces a powerful set of ideas includ... read more

Full of astonishing personal stories, this is an essential and incisive discussion on China today - a country on an environmental precipice that will affect the entire world - and a compelling look at the lives of its people.
With foul air, filthy water, rising temperatures and encroaching deserts, China is already ... read more

Since it first appeared, this book has achieved a classic status. Reprinted many times since its publication, it remains the only work that looks in detail at the political issues posed by global warming. This new edition has been thoroughly updated and provides a state-of-the-art discussion of the most formidable challenge h... read more

A group biography of the twelve caesars of our time: American Presidents from Roosevelt to George W. Bush.
The twentieth century has been called 'the American Century'. Not since the days of the Roman emperors has there been such a succession of rulers holding the fate of the world in their hands. Now, award-winning ... read more

Twenty years ago India was still generally thought of as an archetypal developing country, home to the largest number of poor people of any country in the world, and beset by problems of low economic growth, casteism and violent religious conflict. Now India is being feted as an economic power-house which might well become th... read more

The Cage is a brilliant yet harrowing account of Sri Lanka's fall into darkness. From one of the most promising nation states of the post-colonial world, Sri Lanka descended into bitter civil conflict between a vicious and corrupt government and the equally barbaric Tamil Tigers. Tens, perhaps hundreds, of thousands of civil... read more

A groundbreaking book, this unprecedented study is the authoritative account of the best-known intelligence organisation in the world.
Essential reading for anyone interested in the history of espionage, the two world wars, modern British government and the conduct of international relations in the first half of the tw... read more

Where China Meets India is a vivid, searching and timely book about a remote region that is suddenly becoming a geopolitical center of the world. From their very beginnings, the civilizations of China and India have been walled off from each other, not only by the towering summits of the Himalayas, but also by the vast and... read more

Sir Winston Churchill remains a British hero, lauded for his oratorical skill. He wrote histories, biographies, memoirs, and even a novel, while his journalism, speeches and broadcasts run to millions of words. From 1940 he inspired and united the British people and guided their war effort. Behind the public figure, howev... read more

A fearless, passionate veteran reporter of conflicts from around the world, Sunday Times journalist Marie Colvin was killed in February 2012, covering the uprising in Syria from the besieged city of Homs. On the Front Line is a collection of her finest work, a portion of the proceeds from which will go to the Marie Colvin Mem... read more

In "The Future", former US Vice President Al Gore, explores the political, social and economic forces that are shaping what America and the world will become in ensuing decades. From demographics to democracy, Gore explores what he calls the 'Drivers of Global Change', framing the international conversation about the future i... read more

Politicians and the political process, even in ostensibly democratic countries, can be deadly. James Gilligan has discovered a devastating truth that has been "hiding in plain sight" for the past century - namely, that when America's conservative party, the Republicans, have gained the presidency, the country has repeated... read more

John Holmes was the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs from 2007 until 2010. His work took him to some of the most troubled areas of the world: to Sri Lanka, Darfur, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, among other places, and exposed him to the harsh realities of humanitarian aid. Frequently he ... read more