Descriere: No leader of modern times was more uniquely national than Charles de Gaulle. In his twenties, he fought for France in the trenches and at the epic battle of Verdun. In the 1930s, he waged a lonely battle to enable France better to resist Hitler's Germany. Thereafter, he twice rescued the nation from defeat and decline by extraordinary displays of leadership, political acumen, daring, and bluff, heading off civil war and leaving a heritage adopted by his successors of right and left. Le General, as he became known from 1940 on, appeared as if carved from a single monumental block but was, in fact, extremely complex, a man with deep personal feelings and recurrent mood swings, devoted to his family and often seeking reassurance from those around him. This is a "monumental," "thorough," and "enjoyable" biography (Financial Times) of one of the great leaders of the twentieth century and of the country with which he so identified himself. Written with terrific verve and narrative skill, and yet rigorous and detailed, the first major work on de Gaulle in fifteen years "tracks the great man's career with journalistic industry" (Wall Street Journal), bringing alive as never before the private man as well as the public leader.
Autori: Jonathan Fenby (Author) | Editura: MANCHESTER UNIV PR | Anul aparitiei: 2013 | ISBN: 9781620878057 | Categorie: Biography
Kelvin Fletcher (Author)
Fletchers on the Farm: Mud, Mayhem and Marriage
'We jumped in at the deep end and bought a farm! A reluctant wife, a couple of crazy kids and a husband whose knowledge of farming you could write on the back of a stamp... What could go wrong?!' - Kelvin'Exactly! And the journey has only just begun...' - LizJoin the Fletchers as they navigate the peaks and troughs of life on a lively farm.When Kelvin and Liz Fletcher left their happy home in Oldham for a 120-acre farm in the Peak District, they were totally unaware of the surprises that lay in store. Come along for the ride as they navigate the Mishaps, like shearing sheep in a way that costs more than the price for the wool; the Lessons, such as never turn your back on a flock of sheep - or, put simply, 'always close the gate!' - and the Adventures, going from self-professed 'townies' to farmhands overnight.In Fletchers on the Farm, childhood sweethearts Kelvin and Liz reflect on their history, their future and their daily balancing act of juggling acting careers, four young children and a farmyard full of animals. With wise words on building and nurturing a happy farm and family, this uplifting, heartwarming book is about following your dreams - even if you have no clue how to ...
Toni Maguire
Don't Tell Mummy: A True Story of the Ultimate Betrayal
This heart-wrenching memoir from Toni Maguire tells the deeply moving story of an idyllic childhood that masked a terrible truth. Underneath her mother's gentility and her father's roguish charm lay horrifying secrets, which eventually led to their only child's near destruction.The first time her father made an improper advance on Toni, she was six years old. Her father warned her not to tell her mother, or anyone else, because they would blame her and wouldn't love her any more. It had to remain 'our secret.'When she finally built up the courage to tell her mother what had happened, she was told never to speak of the matter again. With no one to turn to, isolated and alone in rural Ireland, the abuse continued unhindered.At fourteen Toni fell pregnant by her father, and when her state was discovered she was made to have a late abortion which almost killed her. The truth of her childhood could no longer be kept hidden but, just as her father predicted, Toni found herself judged and rejected by her family, teachers and friends. The blame and anger she was treated with only worsened when her father was sent to prison as a result of his actions. This is the compelling story of her ...
Judy Westwater
John Peel first brought Judy's moving childhood story to light on 'Home Truths'. Abducted by her psychotic spiritualist father and kept like a dog in the backyard, she went on to suffer at the brutal hands of nuns in a Manchester orphanage, before living wild on the streets. An incredible, heart-wrenching story of a child who refused to give up.After a childhood lived in terror, in 1994 Judy was presented with an Unsung Heroes Award for her charity work with street children in South Africa. Her moving story came to light after Judy was interviewed by John Peel on BBC's 'Home Truths'. 'Street Kid' is the inspirational and heartwrenching story of her early years.At age two, in postwar Manchester, Judy was snatched from her mother and sisters by her psychotic father - a spiritualist preacher. He kept her in his backyard, leaving her to scavenge from bins to beat off starvation. At four, she was sent to an inhumanely strict catholic orphanage, before being put back in her father's cruel care. For the next three years she was treated as a virtual slave.After being taken by her father to South Africa, Judy ran away to join the circus where she found her first taste of freedom and ...