Kirjahaku

VICTORIA CROSS HEROES tells the stories of over 150 individuals whose bravery has earned them the Victoria Cross, Britain's most prestigious medal for courage in action. The book is introduced by Michael Ashcroft, who owns over ten per cent of all VCs ever awarded. He explains the history of the medal and the story of his fascination with it. The main text of the book tells the stories of both those recipients whose medals are in his collection and those whose stories featured in the television series. Each chapter covers a different conflict, from the Crimean War to Iraq.

This book tells the stories of forty heroes, all awarded bravery medals for their conduct during Special Forces missions over the last 150 years. Often covert hit-and-run operations involving very small numbers of highly skilled men, those who partake in these missions know that their goals involve a high level of risk. They are men who would die for their country, no questions asked. With many incredible stories, particularly from the Second World War, including the Cockleshell Heroes, and other conflicts from the twentieth century, such as the Iranian Embassy siege, this collection of real-life action adventure brings the bravery of Britain's heroes to life.Every medal in Lord Ashcroft's extensive collection tells a story and these are some of the most thrilling.

In a broadcast to the nation in September 1940 King George VI announced the institution of the George Cross - a civilian equivalent of the Victoria Cross awarded to recognize the many acts of supreme gallantry being performed outside of the battlefield.From Thomas Alderson, the first recipient of the medal, who heroically rescued several people from trapped houses during one terrible Blitz night, to Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher, who threw himself onto a live grenade in the Helmand province to save the lives of his comrades (and somehow survived), to Barbara Harrison, an air stewardess who died in 1968 after helping many passengers escape from an onboard fire, this book tells the amazing stories of everyone of the George Cross's 159 direct recipients.GEORGE CROSS HEROES pays tribute to the extraordinary courage displayed by so many of the commonwealth's men and women in so many incredible situations over the last 70 years.

In Heroes of the Skies, Michael Ashcroft relays the stories our most courageous airmen. From those who flew when aeroplanes were in their flimsy infancy during the First World War, through the bomber crews and fighter pilots of the Second World War, to heroes of more recent conflicts in Northern Ireland , the Falklands and Afghanistan, every man in this book risked his life for his comrades and his country. In telling the stories of the individual bravery of more than eighty such men, Heroes of the Skies also paints a picture of a century of aerial combat and allows us to celebrate the extraordinary feats of our flying heroes.

Special Ops Heroes tells the extraordinary stories behind Lord Ashcroft's collection of SAS and other Special Forces medals - the largest of its kind in the world. The action-packed stories span some sixty years from the exploits of the newly-formed SAS early in the Second World War to the end of the twentieth century. It features several remarkable groups of medals for some of the most audacious escapades of the Second World War as well as more recent medals awarded for bravery in Northern Ireland, Darfur and at the Iranian Embassy Seige in London.

Donald Trump's election as President of the United States confounded the pundits and crowned a year of political surprises. In Hopes And Fears, Lord Ashcroft sets out in compelling detail why America sent Trump to the White House. With the rigorous research and analysis that is his hallmark, he argues that - contrary many people's assumptions - the American people made the choice with their eyes wide open. We hear from swing-state voters in their own words as they wrestle with their decision and explain why they, and their country, want change - with all the risks it may entail. Drawing the parallels with the UK's Brexit referendum, the book explores the lessons of 2016 for both parties, the divisions within the American electorate and what they mean for the future. For anyone wondering how America came to choose its new leader, Hopes And Fears has the answers.

Jacob Rees-Mogg is one of the most prominent and controversial figures in contemporary British politics. He is a man who divides opinion in his own party, in Parliament and across the country. An arch-Brexiteer with significant business interests and a large personal fortune, he has long been a vocal critic of the European Union and of Prime Minister Theresa May’s attempts to negotiate a Brexit deal. As chairman of the powerful anti-EU organisation the European Research Group, he has also been a thorn in the side of those seeking to dilute Brexit. While many people mock him for his impeccable manners and traditional attitudes – he has been dubbed `the Honourable Member for the eighteenth century’ – an equally great number applaud him for his apparent conviction politics. Undoubtedly, Rees-Mogg stands out among the current crop of MPs and his growing influence cannot be ignored. In this wide-ranging unauthorised biography of the Conservative Member of Parliament for North East Somerset, Michael Ashcroft, bestselling author of Call Me Dave: The Unauthorised Biography of David Cameron, turns his attention to one of the most intriguing politicians of our time.

The start of 2019 is midway between the last presidential inauguration and the next – but will it also prove the halfway point in Donald Trump’s presidency? Following up Hopes and Fears, which set out in compelling detail why America sent Trump to the White House, Half-Time! brings together two years of groundbreaking research, exploring what the voters make of the President’s agenda and character, how they see the issues at stake and – with voices at the far ends of the political spectrum set to dominate the debate – how they are lining up for the 2020 election.

In April 2019 Lord Ashcroft published the results of his year-long investigation into South Africa's captive-bred lion industry. Over eleven pages of a single edition of the Mail on Sunday he showed why this sickening trade, which involves appalling cruelty to the 'King of the Savannah' from birth to death, has become a stain on the country. Unfair Game, to be published in June 2020, features the shocking results of a new inquiry Lord Ashcroft has conducted into South Africa's lion business. In the book, he shows how tourists are unwittingly being used to support the abuse of lions; he details how lions are being tranquilised and then hunted in enclosed spaces; he urges the British government to ban the import of captive-bred lion trophies; and he demonstrates why Asia's insatiable appetite for lion bones has become a multimillion-dollar business linked to criminality and corruption, which now underpins South Africa's captive lion industry.

2019 saw the Labour Party meet its fourth consecutive general election defeat, and its worst since 1935. Arguing that it is vital for Labour to regroup if it is to offer a serious alternative government, Lord Ashcroft draws on extensive research among real voters – especially those who have moved away from Labour in former heartland seats now represented in Parliament by the Tories. Diagnosis of Defeat explores the reasons for this extraordinary result and offers a frank and uncompromising portrait of the Labour Party as it is seen today.

In the middle of 2019, Rishi Sunak was an unknown junior minister in the local government department. Seven months later, at the age of thirty-nine, he was Chancellor of the Exchequer, grappling with the gravest economic crisis in modern history. Michael Ashcroft’s new book charts Sunak’s ascent from his parents’ Southampton pharmacy to the University of Oxford, the City of London, Silicon Valley – and the top of British politics. It is the tale of a super-bright and hardgrafting son of immigrant parents who marries an Indian heiress and makes a fortune of his own; a polished urban southerner who wins over the voters of rural North Yorkshire – and a cautious, fiscally conservative financier who becomes the biggest-spending Chancellor in history. Sunak was unexpectedly promoted to the Treasury’s top job in February 2020, with a brief to spread investment and opportunity as part of Boris Johnson’s levelling-up agenda. Within weeks, the coronavirus had sent Britain into lockdown, with thousands of firms in peril and millions of jobs on the line. As health workers battled to save lives, it was down to Sunak to save livelihoods. This is the story of how he tore up the rulebook and went for broke.

With a Foreword by Lord Hague of Richmond The Intelligence Corps is one of the smallest and most secretive elements of the British Army. It has existed in various guises since the early twentieth century, but it was only formally constituted in July 1940. In this book, Michael Ashcroft tells the astonishing stories of some of its most courageous and ingenious figures, who have operated all over the world from the First World War to the present day. Whether carrying out surveillance work on the street, monitoring and analysing communications, working on overseas stakeouts, receiving classified information from a well-placed contact or interrogating the enemy in the heat of war, a hugely diverse range of people have served in the Corps, often supplementing their individual professional skills with original thinking and leadership in the name of the Crown. This book pays tribute to them and shows why, in the words of the 1st Duke of Marlborough, 'No war can be conducted successfully without early and good intelligence.'

Joe Biden’s victory in 2020 was a remarkable end to four tumultuous years. But beyond removing Donald Trump from the White House, what is the mandate that the new President’s voters expect him to fulfil? Can he meet the expectations of the biggest electoral coalition in American history? How did Trump expand his support to win more votes than any previous Republican? And what are the chances of a new era of consensus and unity in America after years of division? Drawing on four years of groundbreaking research among voters across the United States, Lord Ashcroft examines the success of Biden, the appeal of Trumpism, and the prospects for the next chapter in American politics.

Sir Keir Starmer has played many parts during his life and career. He went from schoolboy socialist to radical lawyer before surprising many by joining the establishment, becoming Director of Public Prosecutions, accepting a knighthood and then, in 2015, standing successfully for Parliament. At Westminster, he was swiftly elevated to the shadow Cabinet, and in April 2020 he became the leader of the Labour Party. Michael Ashcroft's new book goes in search of the man who wants to be Prime Minister and reveals previously unknown details about him which help to explain what makes him tick. Starmer was the architect of Labour's second-referendum Brexit policy, which was considered a major factor in its worst electoral defeat for nearly a century. Is he the man to bring back Labour's lost voters? Is he the voice of competence and moderation who can put his party back on the political map? Or is he just a member of the metropolitan elite who is prepared to say and do whatever it takes to win favour? This meticulous examination of his life offers voters the chance to answer these vital questions.

The Falklands War, which may prove to be the last ‘colonial’ war that Britain ever fights, took place in 1982. Fought 8,000 miles from home soil, it cost the lives of 255 British military personnel, with many more wounded, some seriously. The war also witnessed many acts of outstanding courage by the UK Armed Forces after a strong Task Force was sent to regain the islands from the Argentine invaders. Soldiers, sailors and airmen risked, and in some cases gave, their lives for the freedom of 1,820 islanders. Lord Ashcroft, who has been fascinated by bravery since he was a young boy, has amassed several medal collections over the past four decades, including the world’s largest collection of Victoria Crosses, Britain and the Commonwealth’s most prestigious gallantry award. Falklands War Heroes tells the stories behind his collection of valour and service medals awarded for the Falklands War. The collection, almost certainly the largest of its kind in the world, spans all the major events of the war. This book, which contains nearly forty individual write-ups, has been written to mark the fortieth anniversary of the war. It is Lord Ashcroft’s attempt to champion the outstanding bravery of our Armed Forces during an undeclared war that was fought and won over ten weeks in the most challenging conditions.

Carrie Johnson is without doubt a very modern prime ministerial spouse. This examination of her career and life offers the electorate the chance to assess exactly what role she plays in Boris Johnson's unpredictable administration and why that matters.

The speed of Rishi Sunak's advance to 10 Downing Street is without precedent in modern British politics. In mid-2019, he was an unknown junior minister; seven months later, he became Chancellor of the Exchequer; and by October 2022, he had secured the highest office in the land. Aged forty-two, he was Britain's youngest Prime Minister in more than 200 years. Michael Ashcroft's biography - first published in 2020 and now fully revised and updated - charts Sunak's ascent to the University of Oxford, the City of London, Silicon Valley and Westminster before assuming the most powerful job in the country in chaotic circumstances. It is the story of a clever and hard-working son of immigrant parents who marries an heiress and makes a fortune of his own; a polished southerner who wins over the voters of North Yorkshire; a fiscal conservative who becomes the biggest-spending Chancellor in history; and a fastidious political operator tasked with reuniting the Conservative Party and repairing an economy in flux. Casting new light on Sunak's tense working relationship with his predecessor, Boris Johnson, All to Play For shows what makes him tick ahead of a general election whose outcome will have profound consequences for Britain.

Angela Rayner is one of the most arresting figures in British politics today. A self-declared socialist, she pursued an unorthodox route to Westminster, leaving school and giving birth to her first child aged sixteen having gained no formal qualifications. After becoming a care worker, she was a trade union representative before entering the House of Commons in 2015 as the Labour MP for Ashton-under-Lyne. She served as the shadow Secretary of State for Education for four years from 2016 and was elected deputy leader of the Labour Party in April 2020. Rayner's life story has earned her a reputation as an authentic working-class voice and, thanks to her own power base and combative performances in the Commons chamber, she is widely considered to be a standout figure among Sir Keir Starmer's shadow cabinet. But who is the real Angela Rayner? What does she actually believe in? What is she like behind the scenes? Can she unite the factions of her party to endorse the Starmer project? And does she harbour ambitions for the top job? This careful examination of her background and career seeks to answer these questions and many more. Michael Ashcroft's new book follows the journey of a politician who has quickly become an outspoken and charismatic presence in British public life and who promises to be a lively addition to the government should Labour win the next general election.

During the Conservative Party leadership contest in the summer of 2022, Kemi Badenoch made an immediate impression on the public as a politician with robust views and a strong personality. Although only a junior minister at the time, she was marked out as a rising star and, having survived the race until the fourth ballot, even as a potential future leader. From September 2022, she served in the Cabinets of Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, combining her post as Secretary of State for Business and Trade with that of Minister for Women and Equalities.Badenoch's centre-right instincts and admiration for Margaret Thatcher have helped to guarantee that her popularity among the grassroots of her party remains high, yet her background is unusual by Westminster's standards. Born in London and raised in Nigeria, she describes herself as 'to all intents and purposes a first-generation immigrant'. She returned to Britain aged sixteen to sit her A-levels and forged a career in the banking sector before entering the House of Commons as the MP for Saffron Walden in 2017.So what makes Badenoch tick? How did she achieve Cabinet rank so quickly? And what would be the implications for the direction of the Conservative Party if she did become its leader?In this meticulously researched biography, Michael Ashcroft charts Badenoch's fascinating course from relative obscurity to being hailed in some quarters as the saviour of conservatism in the UK.

Sir Keir Starmer made the leap from Leader of the Opposition to Prime Minister in only four years, one of just a handful of politicians to have done so since 1945. Yet the landslide majority that Labour secured under him in July 2024 has been described as 'loveless' and his first months in Downing Street were overshadowed by rows and controversies, turning what should have been a political honeymoon into a period of sustained turbulence.In this fully revised and updated edition of his 2021 biography, Michael Ashcroft traces how Starmer went from schoolboy socialist to radical lawyer and Director of Public Prosecutions before - aged fifty-two - becoming an MP, then Labour leader and ultimately the occupant of No. 10. Revealing previously unknown details which help to explain what makes Starmer tick, this careful examination of Britain's first Labour Prime Minister for fourteen years offers voters the chance to assess his character and his political instincts. Having turned his party into an election-winning machine, his goal is to transform Britain into one of the most progressive states in the world. Does he have what it takes to succeed?