Kirjahaku

A powerful and important critique of the dangers of nationalism, and how important it is for the UK and for other nations to find answers to its appeal

Prime Minister Gordon Brown explores the lives of eight outstanding twentieth-century figures, in order to better understand courage. These eight heroes are very different people, with very different strengths and frailties, but all share an extraordinary and inspirational courage that Brown celebrates in these fascinating and moving portraits.

In these eleven stories of courage in the Second World War, Prime Minister Gordon Brown marks the unforgettable heroism of British men and women who fought to overcome tyranny. Some are accounts of decisive action taken in the searing heat of battle while others are of innovative, strategic thought and endurance in the face of dangers met day after day. Tribute is paid to heroes such as John Bridge, a physics teacher turned mine- and bomb-disposal officer, and to the bravery of clandestine operatives like Major Hugh Seagrim in occupied Burma and Violette Szabo in France. Simply and directly told, these inspiring stories celebrate the extraordinary courage of an exceptional generation.

In the 1930s, hundreds of barges sailed the crowded waters of the Thames estuary carrying up to 100 tons of every sort of cargo - wheat and barley, coal, gun powder, cement and gravel. These remarkable craft were worked by a crew of two - skipper and mate. Here, the shipmate tells his story.

Serving as a manual for intermediate and advanced sea kayakers, this book covers topics of kayaking history, physiology, boat and paddle dynamics, seamanship and navigation, safety and rescue, weather forecasting, caves, rockhopping and tidal races, expeditions and overnighting, as well as a wealth of tips and resources for the sea paddler.

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown offers his solutions to the key issues facing us all in 2021, from Covid to climate change and the crisis of capitalism

Brown speaks both as someone who was in the room driving discussions that led to some crucial decisions and as an expert renowned for his remarkable financial acumen. No one who had Brown's access has written about the crisis yet, and no one has written so convincingly about what the global community must do next in order to climb out of this abyss. Brown outlines the shocking recklessness and irresponsibility of the banks that he believes contributed to the depth and breadth of the crisis. As he sees it, the crisis was brought on not simply by technical failings, but by ethical failings too. Brown argues that markets need morals and suggests that the only way to truly ensure that the world economy does not flounder so badly again is to institute a banking constitution and a global growth plan for jobs and justice. Beyond the Crash puts forth not just an explanation for what happened, but a directive for how to prevent future financial disasters. Long admired for his grasp of economic issues, Brown describes the individual events that he believes led to the crisis unfolding as it did. He synthesizes the many historical precedents leading to the current status, from the 1933 London conference of world leaders that failed to resolve the Great Depression to the more recent crash in the Asian housing market. Brown's analysis is of paramount importance during these uncertain financial times. As Brown himself said of his ideas for the future, "We now live in a world of global trade, global financial flows, global movements of people, and instant global communications. Our economies are connected as never before, and I believe that global economic problems require global solutions and global institutions. In writing my analysis of the financial crisis, I wanted to help explain how we got here, but more important, to offer some recommendations as to how the next stage of globalization can be managed so that the economy works for people and not the other way around."

Craig McIntyre, ex-military turned bodyguard, has a powerful and uncontrollable affliction: his mere presence can transform people's darkest thoughts into action. While guarding a high-profile asset in Iraq, McIntyre finds himself at the center of an event that leaves the asset dead. Sent back to America, McIntyre has no idea what happened but others suspect he is responsible. A ruthless US senator, the head of a deep black ops agency, thinks McIntyre has a unique ability that can bring out the very worst in people, sending them into a killing rage. The senator is intent on harnessing this dark talent to further his own ambitions. But when the black op agency kills McIntyre's wife, Craig's darkest thoughts turn to bloody revenge. He vows to kill the senator but has to act fast as the agency now have orders to hunt him down and bring him back: dead or alive. Praise for DARKEST THOUGHTS: "Grabs you by the throat on page one and never lets go. This is thriller writing at its no nonsense best." --Douglas Skelton, author of Thunder Bay "Has movie potential written all over it." --Daily Record "This atmospheric and gripping book had me gripped from the start." --Crime Review "A fast-paced international thriller built on a stunning premise that builds to a dramatic climax." --Crime Book Junkie

Craig McIntyre, ex-military turned bodyguard, has a powerful and uncontrollable affliction: his mere presence can transform people's darkest thoughts into action. The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve has been destroyed by a white supremacist group called the Factor. The attack has been hushed-up and time is of the essence if national and global economic meltdown is to be avoided. McIntyre's nemesis, Senator Tampoline, wants McIntyre to track down those to blame for the terrorist attack and, using his unique ability, kill them. But things are not as they seem. McIntyre struggles to determine who are his allies and who are his enemies and, forced to go on the run, discovers that to save his own life he must tread well beyond the furthest reaches of his moral code and kidnap the future president of America. Praise for FURTHEST REACHES: "A thriller as taut and urgent s a killer's garrotte. Tough, tight and utterly compelling." --Neil Broadfoot, author of No Man's Land "Grabs you by the throat, punches you in the body then gives you a good slapping." --Caro Ramsay, author of The Suffering of Strangers

Craig McIntyre, ex-military turned bodyguard, has a powerful and uncontrollable affliction: his mere presence can transform people's darkest thoughts into action. Chased across America and Canada, McIntyre is trying to escape bounty hunters from the Dark Web. Hooking up with some unlikely allies, McIntyre crosses the Atlantic to discover a secret that will shock the planet. For over fifty years, in a base hidden in a remote corner of Scotland, the US government has been collecting the body parts of the most famous and infamous people on the planet. When McIntyre uncovers the reason behind this insidious plan, he finds himself the key to a deadly game of life or death. Praise for DEEPEST WOUNDS: "The story grabs hold of you and refuses to let go, you're dragged along for the ride whether you want to be or not." --BookLoverWorm "Craig McIntyre absolutely fascinates me A total mess, but also all together, clever, cunning, determined and borderline psychotic...I have to say, I adore him " --Crime Book Junkie. "I was lost in the fast-paced action and the need to know just what was happening and how it would all play out." --Jen Med's Book Reviews. "A high-octane thriller with a killer pitch." --Live and Deadly

Former Prime Minister and the country’s longest-serving Chancellor, Gordon Brown has been a guiding force for Britain and the world over three decades. This is his candid, poignant and deeply relevant story.In describing his upbringing in Scotland as the son of a minister, the near loss of his eyesight as a student and the death of his daughter within days of her birth, he shares the passionately-held principles that have shaped and driven him, reminding us that politics can and should be a calling to serve. Reflecting on the personal and ideological tensions within Labour and its successes and failures in power, he describes how to meet the challenge of pursuing a radical agenda within a credible party of government. He explains how as Chancellor he equipped Britain for a globalised economy while swimming against the neoliberal tide and shows what more must be done to halt rising inequality. In his behind-the-scenes account of the financial crisis and his leading role in saving the world economy from collapse, he addresses the question of who was to blame for the crash and why its causes and consequences still beset us. From the invasion of Iraq to the tragedy of Afghanistan, from the coalition negotiations of 2010 to the referendums on Scottish independence and Europe, Gordon Brown draws on his unique experiences to explain Britain’s current fractured condition. And by showing us what progressive politics has achieved in recent decades, he inspires us with a vision of what it might yet achieve today.Riveting, expert and highly personal, this historic memoir is an invaluable insight into our times.

Following on from his hugely successful book Sea Kayak, Gordon Brown brings his vast experience and unique style to this latest publication Sea Kayak Safety and Rescue. Each chapter begins with a real-life incident which sets the scene and helps to emphasise what follows. The underlying principles are highlighted, practical lessons learnt and the hard skills explored in detail. Numerous colour photos complement and illustrate the text. This book is essential reading for any sea kayaker, and will be enjoyed and valued by both novice and experienced paddlers alike.

The Crime of the Century is about to be committed...again... In the early hours of a Thursday morning in August 1963, one of the UK's most famous crimes was committed when a Royal Mail train, heading from Glasgow to London, was robbed of 2.6 million. Over five decades later, the real mastermind behind the robbery, a man who got no credit, but who wants it, is determined to top the original robbery by stealing the entire wealth of a fleeing Glasgow crime lord from a train-in exactly the same spot that the original crime took place. Meanwhile Charlie Wiggs, a small-time unassuming accountant, discovers that his friend, Tina, has stolen a drawing worth 400,000 in a bid to get out from under crushing debt-and it's now in that same Glasgow crime lord's collection, on that very train. If Tina can't get the drawing back she'll go to jail-or worse. Desperate, she asks Charlie to help. Charlie has only one solution: team up with the violent, bitter mastermind and steal the drawing back-and in the process, become one of the most notorious train robbers in British history. Praise for FALLING TOO: "Falling Too is a praiseworthy encore to Brown's debut novel, Falling, and more fun than a barrel of Glenfiddish." -J.L. Abramo, Shamus Award-winning author of Circling the Runway "Gordon Brown's Falling Too starts at a gallop and doesn't let up. A highly enjoyable read that is as much fun as it is gritty and pacey. This is Tartan Noir at its finest." -Matt Hilton, author of the Joe Hunter thrillers Praise for FALLING: "Chaos reigns as the plot comes thick and fast in this thriller told from alternating perspectives of a brilliantly drawn cast of characters. If Guy Richie is looking for his next hit crime caper, he could do worse." -Daily Record "Throughout, Brown keeps a firm, skilful grip on his material in what turns out to be a very promising debut novel." -The Herald