The political animal

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Rashid Khalidi

Rashid Khalidi The Iron Cage: The Story of the Palestinian Struggle for StatehoodA lucid and compelling examination of the Palestinian dilemma by "the foremost U.S. historian of the modern Middle East"In Resurrecting Empire, Rashid Khalidi dissected the failures of colonial policy over the entire span of the modern history of the Middle East, predicted the meltdown in Iraq that we are now witnessing with increasing horror, and offered viable alternatives for achieving peace in the region. His newest book, The Iron Cage, hones in on Palestinian politics and history. Once again Khalidi draws on a wealth of experience and scholarship to elucidate the current conflict, using history to provide a clear-eyed view of the situation today.The story of the Palestinian search to establish a state begins in the era of British control over Palestine and stretches between the two world wars, when colonial control of the region became increasingly unpopular and power began to shift toward the United States. In this crucial period, and in the years immediately following World War II, Palestinian leaders were unable to achieve the long-cherished goal of establishing an independent state — a critical failure that throws a bright light on the efforts of the Palestinians to create a state in the many decades since 1948. By frankly discussing the reasons behind this failure, Khalidi offers a much-needed perspective for anyone concerned about peace in the Middle East.

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Roy Jenkins

"Winston Churchill is an icon of modern history, but even though he was at the forefront of the political scene for almost sixty years, he might be remembered only as a minor player in the drama of British government had it not been for World War II. In this magisterial book, Roy Jenkins's command of the political history of Britain and his own high-level government experience combine in a narrative account of Churchill's astounding career that is unmatched in its shrewd insights, its unforgettable anecdotes, the clarity of its overarching themes, and the author's nuanced appreciation of his extraordinary subject."--BOOK JACKET.

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David Childs

"This is the fifth edition of what has become the standard textbook on contemporary British political history since the end of World War II. This chronological survey discusses domestic policy and politics in particular, but also covers external and international relations. This new edition brings the picture to the present by including the following: a new chapter on Tony Blair's administration including analysis of the London mayoral elections; new material on John Major in the light of the memoirs of Major, Norman Lamont and new work on the Labour party at this time; updated statistical data and tables; and coverage of the 1990s and the start of the twenty-first century."--Jacket.

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John Ramsden

In this book, Dr. Ramsden recounts the Conservatives' eclipse during the latter part of the Second World War, and explains the Party's crushing defeat in the postwar election of 1945. He reassesses the Tory recovery under the guidance of R. A. Butler and Lord Woolton in the later 1940s, and throws new light on how that recovery was achieved. He discusses the Party's stormy relationship with Churchill, and the efforts of other Conservatives to make him retire. He evaluates the career of Sir Anthony Eden, and the Suez crisis which ended it; and he charts the rise to the premiership of Harold Macmillan. The Age of Churchill and Eden has been written with full access to the Conservative Party's archives, both nationally (including Conservative Central Office, the Party Whips and the Research Department) and locally (the minute books of area and constituency parties).