"Yes, Minister! No, Minister! If you wish it, Minister!" - Richard Crossman, "Diaries Vol. 1". As a politician and personality, Richard Crossman was anything but the deferential public servant he mocked so concisely. This revealing biography of the dedicated radical Labour politician offers the most complete picture of his colourful life and demonstrates many fascinating connections between his political thinking and the formation of New Labour. Richard Crosssman served as an MP from 1945 until shortly before his death in 1974 and is remembered as a fiery speaker, dedicated leftist and author of the controversial three-volume "Diaries of a Cabinet Minister" - published in the face of strong legal opposition from the government.This comprehensive new biography explores the connections between his personal history and his political convictions. His life not only highlights a formative period in British politics but also gives insights into contemporary British politics. Crossman's life not only highlights a formative period in British politics, but also gives insights into contemporary British politics. Weaving together the private and public, Honeyman unveils a politician who fought with dedication for his political beliefs while persistently trying to shake up the organisation of the Labour party. Over the course of his twenty-five years in Parliament, Crossman held various position, including Leader of the House of Commons, Chairman of the Labour Party, and Secretary of State for Social Services.In this new biography, Victoria Honeyman places Crossman in the context of his party and his times while also examining his impact on the development of the Labour party. Often dismissed as fickle, this portrait of Crossman reveals an intellectual politician who worked with conviction for the improvment of his party and country. His life not only highlights a formative period in British politics, but also gives insights into contemporary British politics. Crossman's chief interests included social democracy, international relations and constitutional reform. This biography details his tireless work on these issues and assesses his impact. Rather than the Crossman of popular myth, Honeyman has uncovered a dedicated politician who made serious intellectual contributions to his party's policy and whose influence is still felt today. This biography is essential reading for anyone interested in British contemporary political history.

St. John of the Cross, great mystic of the Christian tradition, knew suffering firsthand: his personal “dark night” included exile, imprisonment, starvation, abuse. Yet sustained by tremendous faith and steeped in an enormous love for God and humanity, John surrendered to the Divine and was drawn through his experiences to a profound compassion for and solidarity with others. This engaging contemporary biography is the perfect introduction—or an enjoyable re-acquaintance—to a man whose life, writings, and spirituality have illuminated the Christian world. ICS Publications is pleased to have this this sought-after and highly acclaimed biography, out of print for a decade, among our titles. Includes a reading guide to the works of St. John of the Cross, a selection from his works, 24 pages of color photos and reproductions of masterpiece artwork, and an extensive bibliography and notes.

This is the first biography of Crossman and its author has had access to the subject's private papers. Both Crossman's personal life and political carrer are scrutinized by the mind of an experienced political commentator. It is shown how a matrimonial entanglement wrecked Crossman's chances of becoming an Oxford don and made him turn to politics. And indeed Crossman's ambivalent attitude to politics is revealed in his diaries.

Annotation The problems facing Plato's world bear striking parallels to ours today, the author maintains, so who better to turn to than Plato, the most objective and most ruthless observer of the failures of Greek society. This text provides both an informed introduction to Greek ideas and an original and controversial view of Plato himself.

Fascinating account of the British state's post-war obsession with secrecy and the ways it prevented secret activities from becoming public.

Drawing on a variety of disciplinary and theoretical approaches, this impressive collection of essays makes an innovative contribution to current, and often contentious, debate within Irish studies.