Author: Herbert Henry Asquith
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 9780198722915
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
H. H. Asquith fell in love with Venetia Stanley in the spring of 1912. Over the next three years he wrote to her whenever he could not see her: sometimes three times a day, sometimes during a debate in the house of Commons, on occasion even during a Cabinet meeting. He shared many political and military secrets with her and wrote freely of his colleagues in government, who included LLoyd George, Churchill, and Kitchener. The correspondence ended abruptly in May 1915 when Venetia told Asquith of her engagement to a junior Cabinet Minister, Edwin Montagu. The Prime Minister, who was at a crisis in his political fortunes, confessed himself utterly heart-broken. This reissue of Asquith's letters to Venetia Stanley includes explanatory notes from Michael and Eleanor Brock, two of the leading authorities in the field. This volume documents a romance, and yet is vital reading for anyone interested in the history of World War I or in British politics of the time.
H. H. Asquith Letters to Venetia Stanley
Author: Herbert Henry Asquith
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 9780198722915
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
H. H. Asquith fell in love with Venetia Stanley in the spring of 1912. Over the next three years he wrote to her whenever he could not see her: sometimes three times a day, sometimes during a debate in the house of Commons, on occasion even during a Cabinet meeting. He shared many political and military secrets with her and wrote freely of his colleagues in government, who included LLoyd George, Churchill, and Kitchener. The correspondence ended abruptly in May 1915 when Venetia told Asquith of her engagement to a junior Cabinet Minister, Edwin Montagu. The Prime Minister, who was at a crisis in his political fortunes, confessed himself utterly heart-broken. This reissue of Asquith's letters to Venetia Stanley includes explanatory notes from Michael and Eleanor Brock, two of the leading authorities in the field. This volume documents a romance, and yet is vital reading for anyone interested in the history of World War I or in British politics of the time.
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 9780198722915
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
H. H. Asquith fell in love with Venetia Stanley in the spring of 1912. Over the next three years he wrote to her whenever he could not see her: sometimes three times a day, sometimes during a debate in the house of Commons, on occasion even during a Cabinet meeting. He shared many political and military secrets with her and wrote freely of his colleagues in government, who included LLoyd George, Churchill, and Kitchener. The correspondence ended abruptly in May 1915 when Venetia told Asquith of her engagement to a junior Cabinet Minister, Edwin Montagu. The Prime Minister, who was at a crisis in his political fortunes, confessed himself utterly heart-broken. This reissue of Asquith's letters to Venetia Stanley includes explanatory notes from Michael and Eleanor Brock, two of the leading authorities in the field. This volume documents a romance, and yet is vital reading for anyone interested in the history of World War I or in British politics of the time.
H.H. Asquith, Letters to Venetia Stanley
Author: Herbert Henry Asquith
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 720
Book Description
...Enthralling...magnificent.' M. R. D. Foot in The Sunday Telegraph ; a delight to read.' A. J. P. Taylor in The Guardian . The paperback edition includes additional letters discovered in 1984.
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 720
Book Description
...Enthralling...magnificent.' M. R. D. Foot in The Sunday Telegraph ; a delight to read.' A. J. P. Taylor in The Guardian . The paperback edition includes additional letters discovered in 1984.
Politics, Religion, and Love
Author: Naomi Levine
Publisher: NYU Press
ISBN: 0814750575
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 882
Book Description
A biography of Edwin Montagu, British Secretary of State for India in 1917-22. Conservative Party opposition to his policies was accompanied by more or less openly expressed antisemitism (see the index). Ch. 23 (pp. 422-449), "Zionism: The Balfour Declaration, " traces the debate among British Jewry over the government's support for a Jewish state in Palestine. Montagu, like most of the Jewish establishment, attempted to prevent adoption of the Declaration, fearing that it would lead to perceptions that Jews were not loyal citizens in the countries of their residence and thus fuel antisemitism.
Publisher: NYU Press
ISBN: 0814750575
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 882
Book Description
A biography of Edwin Montagu, British Secretary of State for India in 1917-22. Conservative Party opposition to his policies was accompanied by more or less openly expressed antisemitism (see the index). Ch. 23 (pp. 422-449), "Zionism: The Balfour Declaration, " traces the debate among British Jewry over the government's support for a Jewish state in Palestine. Montagu, like most of the Jewish establishment, attempted to prevent adoption of the Declaration, fearing that it would lead to perceptions that Jews were not loyal citizens in the countries of their residence and thus fuel antisemitism.
Venetia
Author: Georgette Heyer
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
ISBN: 1402266375
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 372
Book Description
Reading Georgette Heyer is the next best thing to reading Jane Austen."—Publishers Weekly Beautiful, capable, and independent minded, Venetia Lanyon's life on her family's estate in the country side is somewhat restricted. But her neighbor, the infamous Lord Damerel, a charming rake shunned by polite society, is about to shake things up. Lord Damerel has built his life on his dangerous reputation, and when he meets Venetia, he has nothing to offer and everything to regret. Though his scandalous past and deepest secrets give Venetia reason to mistrust him, a rogue always gets what he wants. As Venetia's well-meaning family steps in to protect her from potential ruin, Venetia must find the wherewithal to take charge of her own destiny, or lose her chance at happiness. Charming characters and flawless prose make Venetia a fan favorite from the Queen of Regency Romance. Fans of Mary Balogh, Elizabeth Hoyt and Jane Ashford will be delighted by this story about finding love, redemption, and the courage to follow your heart. Other Regency Romances from Georgette Heyer: Frederica Sylvester Cotillion What reviewers are saying about Venetia "A wonderful story whose characters, settings and, most importantly, dialogue combine to create such a well-crafted story."—Bags, Books, and Bon Jovi "Wonderful characters, elegant, witty writing, perfect period detail, and rapturously romantic"—Katie Fforde "Wonderful and lovely and perfect! Venetia is one of the most charming characters EVER."—Once Upon a Bookshelf "An absolutely rollicking Regency romp. I loved it from the first page."—Library Queue What everyone has to say about the Queen of Regency Romance Georgette Heyer "Georgette Heyer was one of the great protagonists of the historical novel in the post-war golden age of the form. Her regency romances are delightful light reading..."—Philippa Gregory "[Heyer's] characters are witty and beyond charming, her prose is flawless and lighthearted, and her historical detail is immaculate."—Read All Over Reviews "Georgette Heyer is unbeatable." —Sunday Telegraph
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
ISBN: 1402266375
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 372
Book Description
Reading Georgette Heyer is the next best thing to reading Jane Austen."—Publishers Weekly Beautiful, capable, and independent minded, Venetia Lanyon's life on her family's estate in the country side is somewhat restricted. But her neighbor, the infamous Lord Damerel, a charming rake shunned by polite society, is about to shake things up. Lord Damerel has built his life on his dangerous reputation, and when he meets Venetia, he has nothing to offer and everything to regret. Though his scandalous past and deepest secrets give Venetia reason to mistrust him, a rogue always gets what he wants. As Venetia's well-meaning family steps in to protect her from potential ruin, Venetia must find the wherewithal to take charge of her own destiny, or lose her chance at happiness. Charming characters and flawless prose make Venetia a fan favorite from the Queen of Regency Romance. Fans of Mary Balogh, Elizabeth Hoyt and Jane Ashford will be delighted by this story about finding love, redemption, and the courage to follow your heart. Other Regency Romances from Georgette Heyer: Frederica Sylvester Cotillion What reviewers are saying about Venetia "A wonderful story whose characters, settings and, most importantly, dialogue combine to create such a well-crafted story."—Bags, Books, and Bon Jovi "Wonderful characters, elegant, witty writing, perfect period detail, and rapturously romantic"—Katie Fforde "Wonderful and lovely and perfect! Venetia is one of the most charming characters EVER."—Once Upon a Bookshelf "An absolutely rollicking Regency romp. I loved it from the first page."—Library Queue What everyone has to say about the Queen of Regency Romance Georgette Heyer "Georgette Heyer was one of the great protagonists of the historical novel in the post-war golden age of the form. Her regency romances are delightful light reading..."—Philippa Gregory "[Heyer's] characters are witty and beyond charming, her prose is flawless and lighthearted, and her historical detail is immaculate."—Read All Over Reviews "Georgette Heyer is unbeatable." —Sunday Telegraph
Viper Wine
Author: Hermione Eyre
Publisher: Hogarth
ISBN: 0553419366
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 463
Book Description
“Using an alchemy all of her own, Eyre’s postmodern take on the 17th century renders it dazzlingly fresh and contemporary.” —Guardian (UK) Venetia Stanley was the great beauty of her day, so dazzling she inspired Ben Jonson to poetry and Van Dyck to painting. But now she is married, the adoration to which she has become accustomed has curdled to scrutiny, and she fears her powers are waning. Her devoted husband, Sir Kenelm Digby—explorer, diplomat, philosopher, alchemist— refuses to prepare a beauty tonic for her, insisting on her continued perfection. Venetia, growing desperate, secretly engages an apothecary to sell her “viper wine”—a strange potion said to bolster the blood and invigorate the skin. The results are instant, glorious, and addictive, and soon the ladies of the court of Charles I are looking unnaturally youthful. But there is a terrible price to be paid, as science clashes with magic, puritans rebel against the decadent monarchy, and England slides into civil war. Based on real events and written with anachronistic verve, Viper Wine is an intoxicating brew of love, longing and vanity, where the 17th and 21st centuries mix and mingle in the most enchanting and mind-bending ways.
Publisher: Hogarth
ISBN: 0553419366
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 463
Book Description
“Using an alchemy all of her own, Eyre’s postmodern take on the 17th century renders it dazzlingly fresh and contemporary.” —Guardian (UK) Venetia Stanley was the great beauty of her day, so dazzling she inspired Ben Jonson to poetry and Van Dyck to painting. But now she is married, the adoration to which she has become accustomed has curdled to scrutiny, and she fears her powers are waning. Her devoted husband, Sir Kenelm Digby—explorer, diplomat, philosopher, alchemist— refuses to prepare a beauty tonic for her, insisting on her continued perfection. Venetia, growing desperate, secretly engages an apothecary to sell her “viper wine”—a strange potion said to bolster the blood and invigorate the skin. The results are instant, glorious, and addictive, and soon the ladies of the court of Charles I are looking unnaturally youthful. But there is a terrible price to be paid, as science clashes with magic, puritans rebel against the decadent monarchy, and England slides into civil war. Based on real events and written with anachronistic verve, Viper Wine is an intoxicating brew of love, longing and vanity, where the 17th and 21st centuries mix and mingle in the most enchanting and mind-bending ways.
Conspiracy of Secrets
Author: Bobbie Neate
Publisher: Kings Road Publishing
ISBN: 1857827317
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 324
Book Description
This is an engaging biographical detective story delving into a dark and mysterious family secret...who was Louis T Stanley? Now a hundred years later the story of one of the greatest cover-ups in British political history is revealed by Louis T Stanley's step-daughter. Louis T Stanley was the illegitimate son of the serving Prime Minister of Great Britain, H.H. Asquith, and his mother was a young aristocrat's daughter, Venetia Stanley. The Stanley and Asquith families had always been close. Venetia's father, the 4th Lord Sheffield, Lyulph Stanley, and H.H. Asquith had studied together. Asquith then married Helen with whom he had five children, but following Helen's premature death he married the eccentric and prickly Margot who provided him with two more children. Later Lyulph Stanley and HH Asquith became involved in Liberal politics and their children became the best of friends. Asquith's eldest daughter Violet became inseparable friends with Venetia Stanley and accompanied her to Downing Street and visits to the House of Commons etc. H.H Asquith and Venetia began to build up a close relationship. The closeness of the couple was rarely questioned at the time; the sixty-five year old Prime Minister had seven children and the aristocratic girl, by now in her early twenties, hid under the cover of her friendship with Violet. Based on extensive research and the piecing together of childhood memories and historical events Bobbie Neate recounts the secret life of her Grandfather and the extreme measures that were taken to keep it a secret for so long. With connections to many high profile aristocratic families of the era, including the Mitfords, this book will appeal to those fascinated by the hierarchy of the period as well as those enthralled by the romance of forbidden love. With evidence to support her claims this book will cause immense debate in academic circles.
Publisher: Kings Road Publishing
ISBN: 1857827317
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 324
Book Description
This is an engaging biographical detective story delving into a dark and mysterious family secret...who was Louis T Stanley? Now a hundred years later the story of one of the greatest cover-ups in British political history is revealed by Louis T Stanley's step-daughter. Louis T Stanley was the illegitimate son of the serving Prime Minister of Great Britain, H.H. Asquith, and his mother was a young aristocrat's daughter, Venetia Stanley. The Stanley and Asquith families had always been close. Venetia's father, the 4th Lord Sheffield, Lyulph Stanley, and H.H. Asquith had studied together. Asquith then married Helen with whom he had five children, but following Helen's premature death he married the eccentric and prickly Margot who provided him with two more children. Later Lyulph Stanley and HH Asquith became involved in Liberal politics and their children became the best of friends. Asquith's eldest daughter Violet became inseparable friends with Venetia Stanley and accompanied her to Downing Street and visits to the House of Commons etc. H.H Asquith and Venetia began to build up a close relationship. The closeness of the couple was rarely questioned at the time; the sixty-five year old Prime Minister had seven children and the aristocratic girl, by now in her early twenties, hid under the cover of her friendship with Violet. Based on extensive research and the piecing together of childhood memories and historical events Bobbie Neate recounts the secret life of her Grandfather and the extreme measures that were taken to keep it a secret for so long. With connections to many high profile aristocratic families of the era, including the Mitfords, this book will appeal to those fascinated by the hierarchy of the period as well as those enthralled by the romance of forbidden love. With evidence to support her claims this book will cause immense debate in academic circles.
Margot Asquith's Great War Diary 1914-1916
Author: Michael Brock
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191009393
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 566
Book Description
Margot Asquith was the wife of Herbert Henry Asquith, the Liberal Prime Minister who led Britain into war in August 1914. Asquith's early war leadership drew praise from all quarters, but in December 1916 he was forced from office in a palace coup, and replaced by Lloyd George, whose career he had done so much to promote. Margot had both the literary gifts and the vantage point to create, in her diary of these years, a compelling record of her husband's fall from grace. An intellectual socialite with the airs, if not the lineage, of an aristocrat, Margot was both a spectator and a participant in the events she describes, and in public affairs could be an ally or an embarrassment - sometimes both. Her diary vividly evokes the wartime milieu as experienced in 10 Downing Street, and describes the great political battles that lay behind the warfare on the Western Front, in which Asquith would himself lose his eldest son. The writing teems with character sketches, including Lloyd George ('a natural adventurer who may make or mar himself any day'), Churchill ('Winston's vanity is septic'), and Kitchener ('a man brutal by nature and by pose'). Never previously published, this candid, witty, and worldly diary gives us a unique insider's view of the centre of power, and an introduction by Michael Brock, in addition to explanatory footnotes and appendices written with his wife Eleanor, provide the context and background information we need to appreciate them to the full.
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191009393
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 566
Book Description
Margot Asquith was the wife of Herbert Henry Asquith, the Liberal Prime Minister who led Britain into war in August 1914. Asquith's early war leadership drew praise from all quarters, but in December 1916 he was forced from office in a palace coup, and replaced by Lloyd George, whose career he had done so much to promote. Margot had both the literary gifts and the vantage point to create, in her diary of these years, a compelling record of her husband's fall from grace. An intellectual socialite with the airs, if not the lineage, of an aristocrat, Margot was both a spectator and a participant in the events she describes, and in public affairs could be an ally or an embarrassment - sometimes both. Her diary vividly evokes the wartime milieu as experienced in 10 Downing Street, and describes the great political battles that lay behind the warfare on the Western Front, in which Asquith would himself lose his eldest son. The writing teems with character sketches, including Lloyd George ('a natural adventurer who may make or mar himself any day'), Churchill ('Winston's vanity is septic'), and Kitchener ('a man brutal by nature and by pose'). Never previously published, this candid, witty, and worldly diary gives us a unique insider's view of the centre of power, and an introduction by Michael Brock, in addition to explanatory footnotes and appendices written with his wife Eleanor, provide the context and background information we need to appreciate them to the full.
The Gift of a Radio
Author: Justin Webb
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1473589665
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 163
Book Description
'Searingly honest... gripping... fascinating and hugely entertaining.'- Sunday Times 'Moving and frank ... A story of a childhood defined by loneliness, the absence of a father and the grim experience of a Quaker boarding school. It is also one of the most perceptive accounts of Britain in the 1970s.'- Misha Glenny 'A crisp, unself-pitying memoir of a 'trainwreck' youth ... I've always likes Webb on the radio. But I like him much more after reading this book. He offers precisely the kind of brisk honesty and considered analysis he expects from his interviewees. Our politicians should all read it, and step up their game.' -Telegraph ......................................................................................................................................................... Justin Webb's childhood in the 1970s was far from ordinary. Between his mother's un-diagnosed psychological problems, and his step-father's untreated ones, life at home was dysfunctional at best. But with gun-wielding school masters and sub-standard living conditions, Quaker boarding school wasn't much better. Candid, unsparing and darkly funny, Justin Webb's memoir is as much a portrait of a troubled era as it is the story of a dysfunctional childhood, shaping the urbane and successful radio presenter we know and love now. ........................................................................................................................................ 'I thoroughly enjoyed Justin Webb's bonkers childhood. He captures the middle class of the age with a tenacity only possible in one of its victims.' -Jeremy Paxman
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1473589665
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 163
Book Description
'Searingly honest... gripping... fascinating and hugely entertaining.'- Sunday Times 'Moving and frank ... A story of a childhood defined by loneliness, the absence of a father and the grim experience of a Quaker boarding school. It is also one of the most perceptive accounts of Britain in the 1970s.'- Misha Glenny 'A crisp, unself-pitying memoir of a 'trainwreck' youth ... I've always likes Webb on the radio. But I like him much more after reading this book. He offers precisely the kind of brisk honesty and considered analysis he expects from his interviewees. Our politicians should all read it, and step up their game.' -Telegraph ......................................................................................................................................................... Justin Webb's childhood in the 1970s was far from ordinary. Between his mother's un-diagnosed psychological problems, and his step-father's untreated ones, life at home was dysfunctional at best. But with gun-wielding school masters and sub-standard living conditions, Quaker boarding school wasn't much better. Candid, unsparing and darkly funny, Justin Webb's memoir is as much a portrait of a troubled era as it is the story of a dysfunctional childhood, shaping the urbane and successful radio presenter we know and love now. ........................................................................................................................................ 'I thoroughly enjoyed Justin Webb's bonkers childhood. He captures the middle class of the age with a tenacity only possible in one of its victims.' -Jeremy Paxman
In Search of Churchill
Author: Martin Gilbert
Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
ISBN: 1620459116
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 424
Book Description
Penetrating . . . beautifully rounds out and humanizes the character of the greatest statesman of the twentieth century. —San Francisco Chronicle "A multifaceted gem, sparkling with anecdotes and insights about the nature of biography, the challenges and rewards of historical research, and of course Winston Churchill." —Richmond Times-Dispatch "Everything about Winston Churchill is extraordinary. During his excavation of his subject, Martin Gilbert has discovered many gems. In this book he holds some of the most gorgeous jewels up to the light for us to admire." —The Spectator "Gilbert here gives us Churchill's vast humanity with the politics largely left out. Readers daunted by the 8,000-odd pages of the official life should start here. They will love it." —The Times (London) "The portrait of Winston Churchill is . . . vivid and painted with an affection and humour that rarely appear in the official biography." —London Daily Telegraph. "The work [Gilbert] has done puts all historians of the twentieth century, and all students of Churchill, incalculably in his debt." —London Sunday Telegraph
Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
ISBN: 1620459116
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 424
Book Description
Penetrating . . . beautifully rounds out and humanizes the character of the greatest statesman of the twentieth century. —San Francisco Chronicle "A multifaceted gem, sparkling with anecdotes and insights about the nature of biography, the challenges and rewards of historical research, and of course Winston Churchill." —Richmond Times-Dispatch "Everything about Winston Churchill is extraordinary. During his excavation of his subject, Martin Gilbert has discovered many gems. In this book he holds some of the most gorgeous jewels up to the light for us to admire." —The Spectator "Gilbert here gives us Churchill's vast humanity with the politics largely left out. Readers daunted by the 8,000-odd pages of the official life should start here. They will love it." —The Times (London) "The portrait of Winston Churchill is . . . vivid and painted with an affection and humour that rarely appear in the official biography." —London Daily Telegraph. "The work [Gilbert] has done puts all historians of the twentieth century, and all students of Churchill, incalculably in his debt." —London Sunday Telegraph
Staring at God
Author: Simon Heffer
Publisher: Century
ISBN: 9781847948311
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 928
Book Description
_______________________________ 'A brilliant history: The first serious and really wide-ranging history of the Home Front during the Great War for decades. Scholarly, objective and extremely well-written. Filled with surprising revelations and empathy. Heffer's eye for the telling detail is evident on almost every page. A remarkable intellectual and literary achievement.' - ANDREW ROBERTS, TELEGRAPH _______________________________ A major new work of history on the profound changes in British society during the First World War The Great War evokes images of barbed wire and mud-filled trenches, and of the carnage of the Somme and Passchendaele, but it also involved change on the home front on an almost revolutionary scale. In his hugely ambitious and deeply researched new book, Simon Heffer explores how Britain was drawn into this slaughter, and was then transformed to fight a war in which, at times, its very future seemed in question. After a vivid account of the fraught conversations between Whitehall and Britain's embassies across Europe as disaster loomed in July 1914, Heffer explains why a government so desperate to avoid conflict found itself championing it. He describes the high politics and low skulduggery that saw the principled but passive Asquith replaced as prime minister by the unscrupulous but energetic Lloyd George; and he unpicks the arguments between politicians and generals about how to prosecute the war, which raged until the final offensive. He looks at the impact of four years of struggle on everyday life as people sought to cope with dwindling stocks of food and essential supplies, with conscription into the Army or wartime industries, with air-raids and with the ever-present threat of bereavement; and, in Ireland, with the political upheaval that followed the Easter Rising. And he shows how, in the spring of 1918, political obstinacy and incompetence saw all this sacrifice almost thrown away. Throughout, he complements his analysis with vivid portraits of the men and women who shaped British life during the war - soldiers such as Lord Kitchener, politicians such as Churchill, pacifists such as Lady Ottoline Morrell, and overmighty subjects such as the press magnate Lord Northcliffe. The result is a richly nuanced picture of an era that endured suffering and loss on an appalling scale but that also advanced the emancipation of women, notions of better health care and education, and pointed the way to a less deferential, more egalitarian future. _____________________________ 'Staring at God is a vast compendium of atrocious political conduct. Refreshing. A trenchant history.' - GERARD DE GROOT, THE TIMES 'A magisterial history' - MELANIE MCDONAGH, DAILY MAIL 'Gloriously rich and spirited [...] it zips along, leavened by so many wonderful cultural and social details.' - DOMINIC SOUTHBROOK, SUNDAY TIMES 'Ambitious in its scope, content and approach. Masterly.' - CHARLES VYVYAN, STANDPOINT 'Fascinating stuff.' - SPECTATOR 'Possibly the finest, most comprehensive analysis of the home front in the Great War ever produced.' - LITERARY REVIEW 'Every bit as good as its two predecessors. Illuminating.' - EXPRESS 'Absorbing' - NEW STATESMAN
Publisher: Century
ISBN: 9781847948311
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 928
Book Description
_______________________________ 'A brilliant history: The first serious and really wide-ranging history of the Home Front during the Great War for decades. Scholarly, objective and extremely well-written. Filled with surprising revelations and empathy. Heffer's eye for the telling detail is evident on almost every page. A remarkable intellectual and literary achievement.' - ANDREW ROBERTS, TELEGRAPH _______________________________ A major new work of history on the profound changes in British society during the First World War The Great War evokes images of barbed wire and mud-filled trenches, and of the carnage of the Somme and Passchendaele, but it also involved change on the home front on an almost revolutionary scale. In his hugely ambitious and deeply researched new book, Simon Heffer explores how Britain was drawn into this slaughter, and was then transformed to fight a war in which, at times, its very future seemed in question. After a vivid account of the fraught conversations between Whitehall and Britain's embassies across Europe as disaster loomed in July 1914, Heffer explains why a government so desperate to avoid conflict found itself championing it. He describes the high politics and low skulduggery that saw the principled but passive Asquith replaced as prime minister by the unscrupulous but energetic Lloyd George; and he unpicks the arguments between politicians and generals about how to prosecute the war, which raged until the final offensive. He looks at the impact of four years of struggle on everyday life as people sought to cope with dwindling stocks of food and essential supplies, with conscription into the Army or wartime industries, with air-raids and with the ever-present threat of bereavement; and, in Ireland, with the political upheaval that followed the Easter Rising. And he shows how, in the spring of 1918, political obstinacy and incompetence saw all this sacrifice almost thrown away. Throughout, he complements his analysis with vivid portraits of the men and women who shaped British life during the war - soldiers such as Lord Kitchener, politicians such as Churchill, pacifists such as Lady Ottoline Morrell, and overmighty subjects such as the press magnate Lord Northcliffe. The result is a richly nuanced picture of an era that endured suffering and loss on an appalling scale but that also advanced the emancipation of women, notions of better health care and education, and pointed the way to a less deferential, more egalitarian future. _____________________________ 'Staring at God is a vast compendium of atrocious political conduct. Refreshing. A trenchant history.' - GERARD DE GROOT, THE TIMES 'A magisterial history' - MELANIE MCDONAGH, DAILY MAIL 'Gloriously rich and spirited [...] it zips along, leavened by so many wonderful cultural and social details.' - DOMINIC SOUTHBROOK, SUNDAY TIMES 'Ambitious in its scope, content and approach. Masterly.' - CHARLES VYVYAN, STANDPOINT 'Fascinating stuff.' - SPECTATOR 'Possibly the finest, most comprehensive analysis of the home front in the Great War ever produced.' - LITERARY REVIEW 'Every bit as good as its two predecessors. Illuminating.' - EXPRESS 'Absorbing' - NEW STATESMAN