Kirjahaku

Taking the reader through the lives of our monarchs, this book tells a tale of bastardy, courage, conquest, brutality, vanity, vulgarity, corruption, anarchy, absenteeism, piety, nobility, divorce, execution, civil war, madness, magnificence, profligacy, frugality, philately, abdication, dutifulness, family breakdown and family recovery.

A brilliant compendium of Britain's most renowned heroes from Boudicca to Mandela, illustrated by Martin Rowson.Heroes have flaws, but their stories stir the soul. In Gimson's Heroes, bestselling author Andrew Gimson traces the lives of fifty astonishing individuals who had the courage to defy conventional wisdom.From Horatio Nelson disobeying orders to Lord Byron scandalising polite society; Grace Darling rowing through a deadly storm to Florence Nightingale teaching the British how to nurse - these icons are no mere monuments of history, but living, breathing people of daring and defiance. Here are stories of resolve and sacrifice: Wallace Hartley plays on as the Titanic goes down, Noor Inayat Khan refuses to flee from occupied France, Stan Hollis storms an enemy pillbox and Nelson Mandela brings down the white regime in South Africa.A hero, Gimson concludes, is someone with the courage, originality and genius to see what must be done - and to dare to do it, no matter the cost. Complemented by Martin Rowson's uniquely charming illustrations, Gimson's Heroes is a witty, fascinating and lively celebration of the extraordinary legacies of those who went further than most would ever dream.The fifty Heroes included in the book are:Boudicca c.25-60/61 AD Alfred the Great 848-899 King Harold c.1022-1066 Robert the Bruce 1274-1329 Julian of Norwich 1342-1416 Owain Glyndwr c.1359 - c.1415 Bess of Hardwick c.1522 or 1527-1608 Queen Elizabeth I 1533-1603 Sir Francis Drake 1540-1596 Sir Walter Raleigh 1552-1618 Sir Philip Sidney 1554-1586 William Shakespeare 1564-1616 George Herbert 1593-1633 Gerrard Winstanley 1609-1676 Prince Rupert of the Rhine 1619-1682 Robert Boyle 1627-1691 Thomas Coram 1668-1751 Samuel Johnson 1709-1784 James Wolfe 1727-1759 Edmund Burke 1729-1797 James Boswell 1740-1795 Thomas Telford 1757-1834 Horatio Nelson 1758-1805 Mary Wollstonecraft 1759-1797 Thomas Clarkson 1760-1846 Jane Austen 1775-1817 Elizabeth Fry 1780-1845 George Stephenson 1781-1848 Lord Byron 1788-1824 Lord Shaftesbury 1801-1885 Benjamin Disraeli 1804-1881 Isambard Kingdom Brunel 1806-1859 Charles Dickens 1812-1870 David Livingstone 1813-1873 Grace Darling 1815-1842 Prince Albert 1819-1861 Florence Nightingale 1820-1910 Octavia Hill 1838-1912 Fred Burnaby 1842-1885 Ernest Shackleton 1874-1922 Sir Winston Churchill 1874-1965 Wallace Hartley 1878-1912 Ernest Bevin 1881-1951 The Unknown Warrior died c. 1914 John Betjeman 1906-1984 Stan Hollis 1912-1972 Michael Wharton 1913-2006 Noor Inayat Khan 1914-1944 Prince Alexander Obolensky 1916-1940 Nelson Mandela 1918-2013Praise for the three previous Gimson books:Gimson's Kings & Queens: Brief Lives of the Monarchs since 1066 'The most entertaining and instructive book on the English monarchy you will ever read' Daily TelegraphGimson's Prime Ministers: Brief Lives from Walpole to Johnson'The best general book on British politics I've ever come across. Learned, witty and wise, and splendidly illustrated by Martin Rowson' Tibor Fischer, GuardianGimson's Presidents: Brief Lives from Washington to Trump'This is history at its liveliest and most enjoyable. Most presidential biographies are abominably long-winded and reverential. With miniaturist wit and precision, Gimson manages to compress all the salient facts about each president into five or six pages, while offering beautifully crafted insights into their characters and temperaments ...There is something fascinating or funny on every page' Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday

'Crisp and witty' Charles Moore, Spectator'A brilliant survey of the occupants of the Oval Office' Daniel Johnson, Article'Witty and succinct with splendid caricatures' Tibor Fischer, CriticA spirited and entertaining aide-memoire offering 44 short, fascinating accounts of each president, from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to Barack Obama and Donald Trump, bringing the United States' political history to life as never before.Who can name the eight presidents before Lincoln, or the eight presidents after him? Historians tend to shed light on just a handful of leaders: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and perhaps half a dozen others within living memory, leaving at least 30 holders of office if not in total darkness, then at least in deep shadow. Helping to bring these forgotten figures into the light, Andrew Gimson's illuminating accounts are accompanied by sketches from Guardian sartirical cartoonist, Martin Rowson, making this the perfect gift for all lovers of history and politics - the experienced and the novice, the serious and the silly.The Sunday Times bestselling Gimson's Prime Ministers and Gimson's Kings & Queens are also available.

A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERA concise, sharp-witted and illuminating account of the lives of Britain's prime ministers from Walpole to May, illustrated by Martin Rowson.

A brilliant new biography of Boris Johnson from his best biographer, Andrew Gimson

A brilliant new biography of Boris Johnson from his best biographer, Andrew Gimson

THE MAKING OF A PRIME MINISTER 'My biography of the year' Michael Crick 'The scariest thing I've read since Silence of the Lambs' Ken Livingstone A brilliant and definitive biography of Boris Johnson, the politician who risked his career to lead the Brexit campaign, won the referendum, and finally became the new prime minister. In Andrew Gimson's acclaimed biography of the most colourful British politician of modern times, we are given a comprehensive portrait of the man. Despite tabloid controversies which led to him being dismissed from Michael Howard's shadow cabinet, Boris bounced back to win two terms as London mayor. It was a remarkable tribute to his huge personal popularity, and he was at the heart of things when London showcased itself during the 2012 Olympics. This updated edition of the book is a comprehensive insight into the dramatic political events of 2016. After Boris decided to join the Brexit campaign, which he led with Michael Gove, against all the predictions he secured a historic vote to leave the EU. Within a few tumultuous and unprecedented days, David Cameron resigned as prime minister, Boris was installed as favourite to succeed him - only for Gove to torpedo his challenge, and seemingly end his career. Yet when Theresa May took charge, she surprised many by appointing Boris as Foreign Secretary. Gimson's superb account not only takes the reader behind the scenes, it vividly brings to life one of the most extraordinary political careers in our history.