The history of the Conservative party has, extraordinarily, rarely been written in a single volume for the general reader. There are academic multi-volume accounts and a multitude of smaller books with limited historical scope. But now, Robin Harris, Margaret Thatcher's speechwriter and party insider, has produced this authoritative but lively history book which tells the whole story and fills a gaping hole in Britain's historiographical record. Taking as his starting point the larger than life personalities of the Conservative Party's leaders and prime ministers since its inception, Robin Harris's book also analyses the interconnected themes and issues which have dominated Conservative politics over the years. The careers of Peel, Disraeli, Salisbury, Baldwin, Chamberlain, Churchill, Eden, Macmillan, Heath, Thatcher, Major, Hague and Cameron together amount to an alternative history of Britain since the early nineteenth century. This landmark book is essential reading for anyone with an interest in history or politics, or anyone who has ever wondered how Britain came to be the nation it is today.

The magnificent history of Britain by the legendary statesman and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, now condensed in one volume. A History of the English-Speaking Peoples stands as one of Winston S. Churchill's most extraordinary literary works. Begun during the “wilderness years” when he was out of government, first published in 1956 after his leadership through the darkest days of World War II had cemented his place in history, and completed when Churchill was in his eighties, it remains to this day a compelling and vivid account. This one-volume abridged edition of Churchill’s major work makes accessible to readers the full sweep of his magisterial chronicle.

An authoritative survey of the history of English-speaking peoples throughout the world combines intriguing, closely observed biographical profiles—of Alfred the Great, Victoria, Joan of Arc, Lincoln, and other notables—with an account of the key events and issues of the era. The narrative commences fifty-five years before the birth of Christ, when Julius Caesar famously “turned his gaze upon Britain,” and concludes in the year 1900. The beginnings of Parliament, the Church, and the monarchy are all analyzed alongside this comprehensive abridgment.

Two centuries ago, Europe emerged from one of the greatest crises in its history. In September 1814, the rulers of Europe and their ministers descended upon Vienna to reconstruct Europe after two decades of revolution and war, with the major decisions made by the statesmen of the great powers. The territorial reconstruction of Europe, however, is only a part of this story. It was followed, in the years 1815 to 1822, by a bold experiment in international cooperation and counter-revolution, known as the 'Congress System'. The Congress of Vienna and subsequent Congresses constituted a major turning point - the first genuine attempt to forge an 'international order', to bring long-term peace to a troubled Europe, and to control the pace of political change through international supervision and intervention. In this book, Mark Jarrett argues that the decade of the European Congresses in fact marked the beginning of our modern era, with a profound impact upon the course of subsequent developments. Based upon extensive research, this book provides a fresh look at a pivotal but often neglected period.