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The invisible emperor: Napoleon on Elba from exile to escape by Mark BraudeFew historical figures are as well-known as Napoleon Bonaparte, and yet the Emperor's ten-month exile on the small island of Elba is virtually unexplored. Now, for the first time, we have a window into this critical moment when the most powerful man on earth turns defeat into one final challenge.
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Early summer 1982, winter in the South Atlantic, and Argentina's military junta invaded the Falklands and South Georgia. Within days a Royal Navy Task Force is assembled and British forces dispatched. This is the story of D Squadron, 22 SAS, commanded by Cedric Delves. The Squadron would be in at the start, at the repossession of South Georgia; and they would be there at the end, still going forward.
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How regional and class rifts lead to social inequalities -- and how "ethical capitalism" can help bridge these divides. British economist Paul Collier's evenhanded arguments will be appreciated by readers regardless of their political affiliation.
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Silk and the sword: The women of the Norman Conquest by Sharon Bennett ConnollyThe momentous events of 1066, the story of invasion, battle and conquest, are well known. But what of the women? - Harold II of England's wife, Ealdgyth, sister of two earls. William of Normandy's wife Duchess, Matilda of Flanders, and the two wives of Harald Hardrada. What was their real story and what happened to them after 1066? This book traces the fortunes of the women who had a significant role to play during the Norman Conquest; wives, lovers, sisters, mothers, leaders.
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When women ruled the world: Six queens of Egypt by Kara CooneyThis book explores the lives of six remarkable female pharaohs of Egypt, from Hatshepsut to Cleopatra; women who transcended traditional patriarchal obstacles and ruled with real power; and also describes what the modern world can learn from example.
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| Babel: Around the world in twenty languages by Gaston DorrenA brisk and upbeat survey of the world's 20 most widely spoken languages that explores how languages evolve and endure. Concise chapters discuss the selected languages in ascending order by number of speakers and feature charts detailing the tongues' notable hallmarks and idiosyncrasies. |
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Ocean: Tales of voyaging and encounter that defined New Zealand by Sarah EllOur history represents the powerful coming-together of two great seafaring traditions, Polynesian and European. Ocean tells the stories of pioneers and trail-blazers, from the big names who left their mark on our history to everyday folk whose fates were dictated by time and tide. These were chancers and entrepreneurs, exploiters and environmentalists, war-makers and lifesavers.
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On the edge: Ireland's offshore islands: a modern history by Diarmaid Ferriter,Seen as repositories of an ancient Irish culture and the epitome of Irish romanticism, the islands off the coast of Ireland have attracted generations of scholars, artists and filmmakers, from James Joyce to Robert O'Flaherty, looking for a way of life uncontaminated by modernity or materialism. By documenting the island experiences and the social, cultural and political reaction to them over the last 100 years, On the Edge examines why an exodus has happened, and the gulf between the rhetoric that elevated island life and the reality.
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The white darkness by David GrannThe #1 New York Times best-selling author of Killers of the Flower Moon traces the South Pole expedition of a decorated British special forces officer, an admirer and descendant of Ernest Shackleton's expedition, who in 2015 risked his life to walk across Antarctica alone.
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Mountains to sea: Solving New Zealand's freshwater crisis by Mike JoyThe state of New Zealand’s freshwater has become an urgent public issue in recent years. From across the political spectrum, concern is growing about the pollution of New Zealand’s rivers and streams. We all know they need fixing. But how do we do it?
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Living with Hitler: Accounts of Hitler’s household staff by Karl Wilhelm KrauseThis collection paints a picture of Hitler from members of his household in the unique position of being “seemingly ever-present, yet totally unconnected to events". These include Hitler's Bodyguard Karl Krause (1934-39), his house administrator Herbert Döhring (1935-43) and chambermaid Anna Plaim (1941-43). These accounts massively add to our understanding of Hitler as a three dimensional character.
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The King's war by Mark LogueThe broadcast that George VI made to the nation on the outbreak of war in September 1939 was the product of years of hard work with Lionel Logue, his Australian-born speech therapist. The King's War follows this relationship through the dark days of Dunkirk and the drama of D-Day to eventual victory in 1945, and beyond. The book draws on exclusive material from the Logue Archive; the collection of diaries, letters and other documents left by Lionel and his wife.
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The apprentice: Trump, Russia, and the subversion of American democracy by Greg MillerIn a book based on hundreds of interviews with those within President Donald Trump's inner circle, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter investigates the Kremlin’s covert attempt to help Trump win the presidency, Trump’s allegiance to Vladimir Putin and Robert Mueller’s investigation.
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Victory at Gate Pā?: The battle of Pukehinahina Gate Pā: 1864 by Buddy MikaereThe Battle of Pukehinahina-Gate Pa was a defining moment in New Zealand history. It brought together forces representing the British Empire's military machine, political manoeuvering and settler land hunger, Māori notions of sovereignty and self-determination, Christian ideals, and blood and death on a rainy afternoon in Tauranga in 1864. The battle had immediate repercussions for Māori land ownership and brought into question the value of the Treaty of Waitangi and the idea that New Zealanders were now One people. This story is told by Buddy Mikaere who is a descendant of Māori who fought in the battle and Cliff Simons who has a PhD in Defence and Strategic Studies.
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Churchill : Military genius or menace? by Stephen NapierA reassessment of the part Churchill played in WWII, and how his actions really affected those he led. Stephen Napier shows how Churchill’s strategies; and his desire not to be the first British prime minister to surrender the nation, brought the war effort to the brink of ruin and back again. Did his series of retaliatory raids in response to a German accidental bombing help cause the Blitz? Were plans already at large for the US to join the war, with Churchill as the primary puppet master?
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Blunder: Britain's war in Iraq by Patrick PorterThis book is the first "post Chilcot" history of Britain's decision to go to war in Iraq in March 2003. Deploying the large number of primary documents and retrospective testimonies of participants, Blunder reconstructs the assumptions underlying decisions, the policy 'world' that participants inhabited 2001-2003, and the way decisions were made. The book argues, Britain's war in Iraq was caused by bad ideas that were dogmatically held.
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In praise of blood: The crimes of the Rwandan Patriotic Front by Judi ReverA stunning work of investigative reporting by a Canadian journalist who has risked her own life to bring us a deeply disturbing history of the Rwandan genocide that takes the true measure of Rwandan head of state Paul Kagame. Through unparalleled interviews with RPF defectors, former soldiers and atrocity survivors, supported by documents leaked from a UN court, Judi Rever brings us the complete history of the Rwandan genocide.
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How fascism works: The politics of us and them by Jason StanleyAs the child of refugees of World War II Europe and a renowned philosopher and scholar of propaganda, Jason Stanley has a deep understanding of how democratic societies can be vulnerable to fascism. Alarmed by the pervasive rise of fascist tactics both at home and around the globe, Stanley focuses here on the structures that unite them, laying out and analyzing the ten pillars of fascist politics; the language and beliefs that separate people into an 'us' and a 'them.' He knits together reflections on history, philosophy, sociology, and critical race theory with stories from contemporary Hungary, Poland, India, Myanmar, and the United States, among other nations.
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Bravo Kiwi by Craig WilsonMajor Craig Wilson is a decorated former SAS member, and has been in more combat zones than any other Kiwi soldier. He was the commanding officer of Bravo Company, which lost 2 soldiers when they went to the aid Afghan police at Baghek in August 2012. This is the story of Craig Wilson and the men and women of Bravo Company. It starts in 2010 at Burnham army base and includes infantry preparations for; Christchurch earthquake; planning for Afghanistan; life in Bamiyan; the battle at Baghek and its aftermath.
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Contact your librarian for more great books! |
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