David Long

A charming gift book of the strangest and most intriguing stories of London.

Beyond the Gatehouse is a lighthearted, witty but factual biographical account of the eccentric lifestyles of the builders and residents of some of England’s best-known country houses. Extraordinary buildings require extraordinary people, and over the centuries our historic houses have produced more than their fair share of oddballs. Insulated from the outside world by vast wealth, rolling acres and the social status that a title implies, aristocrats have always been able to amuse themselves – and now us – by pursuing their idiosyncratic interests and manias to the point of eccentricity. David Long lifts the lid on all that’s bizarre, implausible, unthinkable and delightfully wacky about our glorious heritage homes and their unusual occupants.

With a quarter of million cars a day crowding onto the M25, and millions more standing nose-to-tail on our A-roads, Britain is now officially Europe’s largest car park. In Germany it’s illegal to drive on a motorway at less than 37mph, but over here it can be a struggle even to reach such a speed during daylight hours. Over-stressed, over-taxed, with petrol at well over a pound a litre and the morning and evening rush hours merging into one, UK motorists have become the slaves of the machine rather than its master. People, even so, are still keen to go places – according to the Times the A–Z to of London is the most shoplifted book in Britain – and so far at least there’s not better way of doing it than by car. Written with the suffering millions in mind, Blood, Sweat and Tyres is the antidote.Casting a wry eye over the world of modern motoring, and highlighting some of its strangest and more bizarre aspects, it seeks to put the sheer awfulness of commuting into some kind of perspective. Or at least to give the victims – motorists, their passengers, friends and families – something funny to read and to reflect on whilst they join the queue. Find out: why the most successful Le Mans driver of all time wishes he could race a 90 year old lady; why the Fab Three bullied Ringo into selling his favourite French supercar and how big a forest your average football team would need to plant to offset the massive carbon footprint of all the gas-guzzlers in the players’ car park.

This is a comprehensive analysis of J. A. Hobson's writings on international relations. Hobson is most famous for developing the neo-Marxist theory of imperialism, but in this book David Long argues that Hobson was also a key figure in the history of liberalism. He shifted liberal international theory away from its laissez-faire origins towards a focus on international organization, making him a forerunner of the functional approach in international relations. The book outlines the philosophical outlook and political economy which informed Hobson's theory, and challenges the narrow interpretation of imperialism which has dominated international relations. Setting out the sources of and contradictions within Hobson's proposals for international government, this book is a contribution not only to the study of international relations, but also to the history of political thought and British liberalism.

Tunnels, Towers & Temples takes a sideways look at London, revealing the hidden stories, curious histories and sometimes comic assocations behind dozens of often quite familiar places. Through their stories, the author reveals a strange side of London most people never come to know, even though they walk its streets every day and take much of what they see entirely for granted. Typical examples include extensive networks of tunnels running beneath high street pavements, secret transport and signalling networks crisscrossing the capital, genuine oddities such as streetlamps powered by sewer gas, a street where you can legally drive on the right, a future Russian Tsar working incognito in a British naval dockyard, even a Nazi memorial sited among the real heroes and adventurers of the British Empire. This companion to Spectacular Vernacular: London's 100 Most Extraordinary Buildings is the best possible start for anyone who wishes to get off the beaten track and under the skin of the hidden city that is modern-day London.

This is the first comprehensive analysis of J. A. Hobson’s writings on international relations. Hobson is most famous for developing the neo-Marxist theory of imperialism, but in this book David Long argues that Hobson was also a key figure in the history of liberalism. He shifted liberal international theory away from itslaissez-faire origins towards a focus on international organisation, making him a forerunner of the functional approach in international relations. The book outlines the philosophical outlook and political economy which informed Hobson’s theory, and challenges the narrow interpretation of imperialism which has dominated international relations. Setting out the sources of and contradictions within Hobson’s proposals for international government, this book is a contribution not only to the study of international relations, but also to the history of political thought and British liberalism.

A respected writer of naval history, Long is most qualified to write this first biography of Mad Jack, an unusual and controversial figure in the early days of the U.S. Navy. Using family accounts and primary materials, Long recounts the 40-year naval career of this maverick naval officer and in doing so gives the low-down on how the Navy worked in its nascent years. Anyone interested in eighteenth and nineteenth century military history will find this engrossing reading.This popularly written but scholarly study covers the unusual Navy captain, whose career spanned the globe. Long provides a chronological account of Captain Percival's early years; his command during the War of 1812; his administrative duties at the Boston Navy Yard; his trips to the Pacific; mutinies; an incident with missionaries in Hawaii and the subsequent trial; cruises to the Caribbean; South America; and the Mediterranean; a trek around the world in the mid-1840s; his retirement; and his final years. Extensive notes and a bibliographical essay guide the reader to other important sources for those studying the period. Numerous maps are also provided.