Historiske og politiske biografier

In this book, the author of "Seven Gothic Tales gives a true account of her life on her plantation in Kenya. She tells with classic simplicity of the ways of the country and the natives: of the beauty of the Ngong Hills and coffee trees in blossom: of her guests, from the Prince of Wales to Knudsen, the old charcoal burner, who visited her: of primitive festivals: of big game that were her near neighbors--lions, rhinos, elephants, zebras, buffaloes--and of Lulu, the little gazelle who came to live with her, unbelievably ladylike and beautiful. The Random House colophon made its debut in February 1927 on the cover of a little pamphlet called "Announcement Number One." Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer, the company's founders, had acquired the Modern Library from publishers Boni and Liveright two years earlier. One day, their friend the illustrator Rockwell Kent stopped by their office. Cerf later recalled, "Rockwell was sitting at my desk facing Donald, and we were talking about doing a few books on the side, when suddenly I got an inspiration and said, 'I've got the name for our publishing house. We just said we were go-ing to publish a few books on the side at random. Let's call it Random House.' Donald liked the idea, and Rockwell Kent said, 'That's a great name. I'll draw your trademark.' So, sitting at my desk, he took a piece of paper and in five minutes drew Random House, which has been our colophon ever since." Throughout the years, the mission of Random House has remained consistent: to publish books of the highest quality, at random. We are proud to continue this tradition today. This edition is set from the first American edition of 1937 and commemorates theseventy-fifth anniversary of Random House.

When Henry V became king of England in 1413 he inherited an exhausted realm. The coup d'etat in which Henry's father deposed his uncle Richard II had left deep political fault-lines; the impact of the Black Death still lingered; public finances and law and order were in crisis. To the outside world, England was irrelevant, the glorious victories over France won by Henry's grandfather Edward III at Cre¿cy and Poitiers largely forgotten.But, in less than a decade, Henry transformed England. He reunited the political community behind the crown, reformed the justice system, invested heavily in shipbuilding, put down rebellions and secured England's borders. In foreign diplomacy, he made England a serious player once more. And, by defeating a larger and better-equipped French army at the battle of Agincourt in 1415, he brought about the union of the crowns of England and France, an achievement which ranks Henry alongside medieval rulers such as Charlemagne, William the Conqueror and Frederick Hohenstaufen. In terms of his military genius and force of personality, Henry was arguably the closest thing England ever produced to a Napoleon Bonaparte. And Agincourt was his Austerlitz.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian reflects on her 42-year marriage with Dick Goodwin, one of the shining stars of John F. Kennedy's New Frontier and the journey of going through the letters, diaries, documents and memorabilia he saved over the years.

Read the book that inspired upcoming major motion picture starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Helena Bonham Carter.'Remarkable' - the Guardian Sir Nicholas Winton rescued 669 Jewish children from Nazi occupied Czechoslovakia at the brink of World War II. Most never saw their parents again. This is his story.In 1938, 29-year-old 'Nicky' cancelled a ski holiday and instead spent 9 months masterminding a seemingly impossible plan to rescue hundreds of children and find them homes in the UK. There are around 6000 people who are alive today because of him.What motivated an ordinary man to do something so extraordinary? This book, written by his daughter, Barbara, explores the 106-year life of an incredible humanitarian, a man whose astounding feats only came to public light decades later. His legacy is to encourage us all to act when we see injustice or need, and to remind us that every one of us can change the world for the better.'If something is not impossible, then there must be a way to do it.'

A fresh portrait of the man behind James Bond, and his enduring impact, by an award-winning biographer with unprecedented access to the Fleming family papers.*WINNER OF THE CWA GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION*Ian Fleming's greatest creation, James Bond, has had an enormous and ongoing impact on our culture, but Fleming's life was more mysterious than anything he wrote.Ian's childhood with his gifted brother and extraordinary mother established his ambition to be 'the complete man'. Only a writer for his last twelve years, his dramatic personal experiences and career in Naval Intelligence put him at the heart of critical moments in world history, while also providing rich inspiration for his fiction.Nicholas Shakespeare is one of the most gifted biographers working today. His talent for uncovering new material that casts fresh light on his subjects is fully evident in this masterful, definitive biography.'Elegant and painstakingly researched' Observer'Marvellous...one of the most engaging portraits of a particular period of British history that I have read in a long time' Antonia Fraser'A book so buoyant and delicious that you feel it will be a friend for life' Telegraph*LONGLISTED FOR THE SALTIRE SOCIETY LITERARY AWARD**A The Times, Financial Times, Economist, Spectator and BBC History Magazine Book of the Year*

On War is a book on military strategy by Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz, written mostly after the Napoleonic wars, between 1816 and 1830. It is one of the most important books on political-military analysis and strategy ever written.

Presenting startling new biographical details about Timothy McVeigh and exposing stark contradictions and errors contained in previous depictions of the "e;All-American Terrorist,"e; this book traces McVeigh's life from childhood to the Army, throughout the plot to bomb the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building and the period after his 1995 arrest until his 2001 execution. McVeigh's life, as Dr. Wendy Painting describes it, offers a backdrop for her discussion of not only several intimate and previously unknown details about him, but a number of episodes and circumstances in American History as well. In Aberration in the Heartland, Painting explores Cold War popular culture, all-American apocalyptic fervor, organized racism, contentious politics, militarism, warfare, conspiracy theories, bioethical controversies, mind control, the media's construction of villains and demons, and institutional secrecy and cover-ups. All these stories are examined, compared, and tested in Aberration in the Heartland of the Real, making this book a much closer examination into the personality and life of Timothy McVeigh than has been provided by any other biographical work about him

Brought to you by Penguin. He became a myth in his own lifetime and an international martyr-figure upon his death; he was a revolutionary fighter, a military strategist, a social philosopher, an economist, a medical doctor, and a friend and confidant of Fidel Castro. Che Guevara's dream was an epic one - to unite Latin America and the rest of the developing world through armed revolution, and to end once and for all the poverty, injustice and petty nationalisms that had bled it for centuries. In the end Che failed in his quest but he is recognized as that one-in-a-million personality who just might have pulled it off. Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life shuttles between the revolutionary capitals of Havana and Algiers to the battlegrounds of Bolivia and the Congo; from the halls of power in Moscow and Washington to the exile havens of Miami, Mexico and Guatemala, in a gripping tale of revolution, international intrigue and covert operations. It has an epic sweep as it evokes an era of tumultuous change, describing major events like the Bay of Pigs invasion, the October Missile crisis and Kennedy's assassination. Among its cast of characters are scores of historic personalities including Castro, Kennedy, Kruschev, Mao Tse-tung, Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, to name but a few. Jon Lee Anderson has been given unprecedented access to the Cuban Government's archives and has had total co-operation from Che's widow, Aleida March, who has never previously spoken for publication about her late husband. He has obtained hitherto unpublished documents, including several of Che's personal diaries and, in the course of his research, broke open a twenty-eight-year-old mystery - the whereabouts of Che's body in Bolivia. There is no doubt that this monumental work will stand as the definitive portrait of one of the twentieth century's most fascinating, yet largely unexplored, historical figures. (c) Jon Lee Anderson 1997 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

An award-winning critical biography of Finland's towering leader, charting his statecraft, his political journey and his strategic bravado, carving out independence between Stalin and Hitler.

This exclusive boxed set from beloved New York Times bestselling author Walter Isaacson features his definitive biographies: Steve Jobs, Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, and Leonardo da Vinci. “If anybody in America understands genius, it’s Walter Isaacson.” —SalonCelebrated historian, journalist, and bestselling author Walter Isaacson’s biography collection of geniuses now available in one boxed set—the perfect gift for history lovers everywhere. Steve Jobs: The “enthralling” (The New Yorker) worldwide bestselling biography of legendary Apple cofounder Steve Jobs. The story of the roller-coaster life and intense creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing. Isaacson’s portrait touched millions of readers. Einstein: How did his mind work? What made him a genius? Isaacson’s biography of Albert Einstein—also the basis for the ten-part National Geographic series starring Geoffrey Rush—shows how Einstein’s scientific imagination sprang from the rebellious nature of his personality. His fascinating story is a testament to the connection between creativity and freedom. Benjamin Franklin: In this colorful and intimate narrative, Isaacson provides the full sweep of Ben Franklin’s amazing life, showing how the most fascinating Founding Father helped forge the American national identity. Leonardo da Vinci: History’s consummate innovator and most creative thinker. Isaacson illustrates how Leonardo’s genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity, careful observation, and an imagination so playful that it flirted with fantasy.

"Nick Lavery is an active-duty Green Beret within the United States Army Special Forces. Although injuries sustained in combat resulted in the above-the-knee amputation of his leg-- Nick not only remained in the Army, he returned to his Special Forces Detachment and continues conducting combat operations to this day. Objective Secure is the methodology Nick employed to return to operational status. It is also the methodology he uses today as he continues this unprecedented journey in service to his country. It is a battle tested guide forged by fire--literally." -- page [4] of cover

«En glimrende bok! Uansett hvem du er og hvor du er i livet, kan du la deg inspirere av Eirik Kristoffersen.» Erik Bertrand Larssen Hva skal til for å bli best? I Jegerånden tar Eirik Kristoffersen oss med på innsiden av Norges fremste elitestyrke. I 2020 ble general Eirik Kristoffersen Norges nye forsvarssjef. Inntil da hadde han det meste av karrieren tjenestegjort i Forsvarets spesialkommando (FSK) - en myteomspunnet militær styrke med svært harde opptakskrav. For å bli en del av FSK, må man ha den rette «jegerånden», men hva innebærer det? Hva gjør FSK for å utvikle sine soldater, både individuelt og som gruppe? Og hvordan bygger de en kultur preget av tillit og trygghet - der man både omstiller seg, tåler konflikter og tør å gjøre feil? Boka er skrevet i samarbeid med Malin Stensønes. Den bygger på en rekke konkrete hendelser - både dramatiske episoder fra krig, utfordringer under opplæring eller omstilling, og eksempler på egenskapen Kristoffersen setter aller høyest hos sine medarbeidere: mot til å protestere og si nei. Jegerånden er en bok om ledelse, motivasjon og kultur, men først og fremst om den innbitte viljen til alltid å bli bedre.

Historien om en av de mest spennende skjebner i norsk utvandringshistorie. Leonhard Seppala utvandret fra Nord-Troms til USA i 1900 under gullrushet i Alaska. Boken forteller om denne tiden, om gullgravere, immigranter og polarliv på en måte som tar pusten fra leseren. Men Seppalas enorme berømmelse (i sin tid en av Amerikas best kjente personer) kom ikke fra gullgraving, men fra hundekjøring.

Ingen avdeling i forsvaret er like legendarisk og myteomspunnet som Marinejegerkommandoen (MJK). For første gang forteller en tidligere marinejeger selv om livet på innsiden av avdelingen. Det er en fortelling om nådeløs utvelgelse, knallhard trening og forberedelser til hemmelige oppdrag. For første gang får vi også den nervepirrende historien om avdelingens kamp mot Taliban i Afghanistan i 2005-2006 - en operasjon skvadronsjefen Trond André Bolle senere ble tildelt krigskorset med sverd for. Marinejeger er en fortelling om blodslit, spenning og kameratskap i et helt spesielt fellesskap. Det er også en historie om å bruke ferdighetene i det sivile liv. Etter endt tjeneste har Bjerkelund brukt kunnskapen sin til humanitært arbeid. I 2014 reiste han til Afrika for å bekjempe ebolaepidemien. Marinejeger er en unik historie for alle som er interessert i livet bak kulissene i landets spesialstyrker. Det er en fortelling om at alt er mulig, hvis viljen er sterk nok.

Hillbillyens klagesang er en sterk og sviende skildring av J.D. Vance sin egen klassereise, men også en treffende beskrivelse av diskrimineringen, samt de strukturelle og kulturelle barrierene som møter mange av dagens fattige. Det en rapport fra USA, men også en generell refleksjon over det som venter ethvert samfunn, dersom vi ikke tar på alvor konsekvensene av økte forskjeller i befolkningen.

Part war memoir, part tract, part expose, Homage to Catalonia is a pivotal work in Orwell's oeuvre, and a key to understanding his political ideas and commitment to the socialist cause. Rejected by Orwell's long-standing publisher, Gollancz, on political grounds, it is here presented in its original version, as published by Secker & Warburg in 1938.

Siv Jensen har hatt en usedvanlig spennende reise fra hun entret norsk politikk med et brak i 1997. Siv var bare 36 år da hun etterfulgte Carl I. Hagen som Frp-formann i 2006. Hun tok over det mannsdominerte partiet med den største selvfølge og ledet Frp til historiens beste valgresultat. Fra å være et protestparti i evig opposisjon ble Frp et ansvarlig regjeringsparti, og i seks år styrte Siv Jensen landets økonomi med stø hånd som finansminister. I denne ærlige beretningen tar Siv oss med inn i politikkens bakrom, og forteller åpent om dramatiske forhandlinger, oppvaskmøter og håndtering av skandaler. Siv takker sin varme storfamilie for å ha gitt henne trygghet til å stå i stormene. Hun skriver åpenhjertig om baksiden av medaljen - i et konstant offentlig lys - og om savnet av en mann å dele gleder og sorger med.