Download or read book The Larry Diaries Downing Street The First 100 Days written by Larry the Cat and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2011-10-13 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It was the brazen cheek of the huge rat running across the front of No 10 on a live TV news broadcast that galvanised the government into action. Meetings were held at the highest level and, barely a week later, on 15 February 2011, Larry the tabby cat arrived in Downing Street to make his mark as the new rodent bouncer in residence. A secret source quickly made contact and has been working closely with Larry ever since to get the full story - in diary form - of his first 100 days in the job. In a swift-moving narrative that pits Larry against the evil King Rat and his legion of cheese-eaters, our hero still finds time to spill the beans on what life with Sam and Dave is really like. With the economy in crisis and anarchy on the streets of London, Larry has to use all his smarts to outwit the enemy and earn his keep. Gaining privileged access to Sam Cam's iPad he uses Google Maps to surpass the rats' knowledge of the local area. With a Royal Wedding on the horizon and a revolving door of visiting dignitaries to contend with, Larry is able to take a wry look at the machinations of coalition power that lurk behind the big black door.

Download or read book Margot Asquith s Great War Diary 1914 1916 written by Michael Brock and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2014-06-26 with total page 566 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book 10 Downing Street written by Anthony Seldon and published by Flammarion. This book was released on 2019-03-19 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The walls of Number 10 have witnessed frantic diplomacy, tense cabinet meetings, the rise and fall of those at the dizzying heights of government, and decisions that have affected millions of people and every continent. And yet, for many people, the building remains a mystery. What really goes on behind that iconic black door? What does it look like? How have prime ministers shaped Downing Street, and how has it shaped them? This book will take readers through the famous door and into Downing Street. It will reveal the mystery and the majesty of 10 Downing Street. Spectacular photography of the building's interior will complement a text rich in detail. The book will chart the history of Number 10, looking at the personalities and the dramatic events that have shaped this building, from Robert Walpole during the eighteenth century to David Cameron in the twenty-first. Readers will discover how the building has evolved to meet modern needs. This book will be a wonderfully illustrated, comprehensive history and guide to Number 10 Downing Street. It is a must have for anybody interested in British history or politics.

Download or read book Larry at Number 10 written by Elizabeth C Radcliffe and published by Troubador Publishing Ltd. This book was released on 2021-01-07 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Meow-vellous, Hiss-terical Cat and Dog Tail with Oodles of Cat-itude. Paw-some Larry is Top Cat at Number 10 – that was until his boss, the Prime Minister, got a dog called Dilyn. A rat-iculous puppy who chases his tail, guzzles sausage-strings and chews things. How paw-thetic!

Download or read book The Downing Street Years written by Margaret Thatcher and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2011-01-04 with total page 754 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This first volume of Margaret Thatcher's memoirs encompasses the whole of her time as Prime Minister - the formation of her goals in the early 1980s, the Falklands, the General Election victories of 1983 and 1987 and, eventually, the circumstances of her fall from political power. She also gives frank accounts of her dealings with foreign statesmen and her own ministers.

Download or read book Downing Street Diary written by Bernard Donoughue and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 582 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Continuing his account of his time as a senior policy advisor at No. 10, Donoughue deals with the Callaghan era. He covers the IMF loan, the 'Winter of Discontent' and Labour's subsequent election defeat, and recalls Roy Jenkins, Denis Healey, Michael Foot and other prominent figures.

Download or read book The Fringes of Power written by John Colville and published by Orion. This book was released on 2005 with total page 738 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the outset of the Second World War, John Colville, a young diplomat, was seconded from the foreign office to Number 10 Downing Street. For nine of the next sixteen years, he served three prime ministers - briefly Neville Chamberlain and Clement Attlee - but for much of that time as Private Secretary to Winston Churchill. During those momentous years Colville kept a diary, though this was forbidden by wartime regulations, locking it nightly into his desk at Number 10. Colville seldom left Churchill's side and the insights and observations he records paint an invaluable portrait of the nation's most famous leader both in times of war and peace. Transcribed and edited by Colville before his death, this new edition includes new material, both from the war period and from the time when he was private secretary to the then Princess Elizabeth when she became engaged and then married Prince Philip.

Download or read book Downing Street Diary Volume Two written by Bernard Donoughue and published by Random House. This book was released on 2009-01-19 with total page 578 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first volume of Bernard Donoughue's Downing Street Diary was described by Charles Moore in the Daily Telegraph as 'the best account of Harold Wlson's last days'; 'the sheer scale and detail are fascinating' wrote Peter Riddell in the Times Literary Supplement. This second volume covers the three years, 1976-79, when Donoughue was Senior Policy Advisor to James Callaghan. At first Callaghan quickly established dominance over his cabinet and restored calm after the plots and scandals of the later Wilson years. His incomes policy reduced inflation and, in the teeth of opposition from the left wing, he negotiated the notorious IMF loan at the expense of eliminating some of Labour's most cherished dreams. By 1978, Callaghan, a politician of great patriotism and decency, seemed to have succeeded in steering Britain into calmer waters. But then the storm broke. Trade union militants brushed aside their mediocre leaders and launched a ferocious attack on Callaghan's pay policy, driving up inflation and demonstrating the government's impotence. In the diaries we see the prime minister and the government paralysed as the 'Winter of Discontent' began to bite and politics took to the streets. As Labour drifted to inevitable defeat in the 1979 election we see Callaghan fighting honourably. From the smoke of battle there emerges a striking new leader: Margaret Thatcher. The diaries describe vividly both the decline and final collapse of 'old' Labour and how Mrs Thatcher took the opportunity to launch her crusade to dismantle trade union power and much of the British public sector. Besides James Callaghan the chief figures in this volume of Lord Donoughue's diaries are Roy Jenkins, Denis Healey, Tony Crosland, Michael Foot, Shirley Williams, David Owen and Tony Benn.

Download or read book Diary of a Dead Man on Leave written by David Downing and published by Soho Press. This book was released on 2020-02-11 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From bestselling author David Downing, master of historical espionage, comes a heart-wrenching depiction of Germany in the days leading up to World War II and the difficult choices of one man of conviction. In April 1938, a man calling himself Josef Hofmann arrives at a boarding house in Hamm, Germany, and lets a room from the widow who owns it. Fifty years later, Walter Gersdorff, the widow’s son, who was eleven years old in the spring of 1938, discovers the carefully hidden diary the boarder had kept during his stay, even though he never should have written any of its contents down. What Walter finds is a chronicle of one the most tumultuous years in German history, narrated by a secret agent on a deadly mission. Josef Hofmann was not the returned Argentinian immigrant he’d said he was—he was a communist spy under Moscow’s command trying to reconnect with remaining members of Germany’s suppressed communist party. Hofmann’s bosses believe the common workers are the only way to stop the German war machine from within. Posing as a railroad man, Hofmann sets out on his game of “Russian roulette,” approaching Hamm’s ex-party members one at a time and delicately feeling out their allegiances. He always knew his mission would most likely end in his death, and he was satisfied to make that sacrifice for the revolution if it could help stop Hitler and his abominable ideology. But as he grows close to the Gersdorffs, accidentally stepping into the role of the father Walter never had, Hofmann begins to wish for another kind of hope in his life.

Download or read book Mary Churchill s War written by Mary Churchill and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2022-06-07 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A unique and evocative portrait of World War II—and a charming coming-of-age story—from the private diaries of Winston Churchill's youngest daughter, Mary. “I am not a great or important personage, but this will be the diary of an ordinary person's life in war time. Though I may never live to read it again, perhaps it may not prove altogether uninteresting as a record of my life.” In 1939, seventeen-year-old Mary found herself in an extraordinary position at an extraordinary time: it was the outbreak of World War II and her father, Winston Churchill, had been appointed First Lord of the Admiralty; within months he would become prime minister. The young Mary Churchill was uniquely placed to observe this remarkable historical moment, and her diaries—most of which have never been published until now—provide an immediate view of the great events of the war, as well as exchanges and intimate moments with her father. But these diaries also capture what it was like to be a young woman during wartime. An impulsive and spirited writer, full of coming-of-age self-consciousness and joie de vivre, Mary's diaries are untrammeled by self-censorship or nostalgia. From aid raid sirens at 10 Downing Street to seeing action with the women’s branch of the British Army, from cocktail parties with presidents and royals to accompanying her father on key diplomatic trips, Mary's wartime diaries are full of color, rich in historical insight, and a charming and intimate portrait of life alongside Winston Churchill during a key moment of the twentieth century.

Download or read book The Blair Years written by Alastair Campbell and published by Knopf. This book was released on 2011-07-20 with total page 749 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A revelatory account of Tony Blair’s tumultuous leadership, The Blair Years gathers extracts from the diaries of the man who knew him best: Alastair Campbell—Blair’s spokesman from 1994 to 2003, his press secretary, strategist, and closest confidant. It is a compelling chronicle of contemporary British politics and the rise of New Labour, providing the first important record of a remarkable decade in Britain’s history. Here are the defining events of the time, from the Labour Party’s new dawn to the war on terror; from the death of Princess Diana to negotiations for peace in Northern Ireland; from Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq to the Hutton Inquiry of 2003, the year Campbell resigned his position. Here also are Blair’s relationships with world leaders and heads of state, including presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. But above all, here is Tony Blair up close and personal, making the decisions that affected the lives of millions, under relentless and frequently hostile pressure. Often described as the second most powerful figure in Britain, Alastair Campbell is no stranger to controversy. Feared and admired in equal measure, hated by some, he was pivotal to the founding of New Labour and the sensational election victory of 1997. Campbell spent more waking hours alongside the prime minister than anyone, and his diaries—at times brutally frank, often funny, always engrossing—take the reader right to the heart of government. The Blair Years is a story of politics in the raw, of progress and setback, of reputations made and destroyed, under the relentless scrutiny of a 24-hour media. Unflinchingly told, it covers the crises and scandals, the rows and resignations, the ups and downs at No. 10 Downing Street. But amid the landmark events are insights and observations that make this a remarkably human portrayal of some of the most influential people in the world. A completely riveting book about life at the very top, told by a man who saw it all.

Download or read book Back from the Brink written by Alistair Darling and published by Atlantic Books. This book was released on 2012-06-01 with total page 415 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Alistair Darling's long-awaited book will be one of the most reviewed, widely discussed, and saleable political memoirs of recent years. In the late summer of 2007, shares of Northern Rock went into free-fall, causing a run on the bank - the first in over 150 years. Northern Rock proved to be only the first. Twelve months later, as the world was engulfed in the worst banking crisis for more than a century, one of its largest banks, RBS, came within hours of collapse. Back from the Brink tells the gripping story of Alistair Darling's one thousand days in Number 11 Downing Street. As Chancellor, he had to avert the collapse of RBS hours before the cash machines would have ceased to function; at the eleventh hour, he stopped Barclays from acquiring Lehman Brothers in order to protect UK taxpayers; he used anti-terror legislation to stop Icelandic banks from withdrawing funds from Britain. From crisis talks in Washington, to dramatic meetings with the titans of international banking, to dealing with the massive political and economic fallout in the UK, Darling places the reader in the rooms where the destinies of millions weighed heavily on the shoulders of a few. His book is also a candid account of life in the Downing Street pressure cooker and his relationship with Gordon Brown during the last years of New Labor. Back from the Brink is a vivid and immediate depiction of the British government's handling of an unprecedented global financial catastrophe. Alistair Darling's knowledge and understanding provide a unique perspective on the events that rocked international capitalism. It is also a vital historical document.

Download or read book The Dark Clouds Shining written by David Downing and published by Soho Press. This book was released on 2018-04-10 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the fourth and final installment of David Downing’s spy series, Jack McColl is sent to Soviet Russia, where the civil war is coming to an end. The Bolsheviks have won but the country is in ruins. With the hopes engendered by the revolution hanging by a thread, plots and betrayals abound. London, 1921: Ex–Secret Service spy Jack McColl is in prison serving time for assaulting a cop. McColl has been embittered by the Great War; he feels betrayed by the country that had sent so many young men to die needlessly. He can’t stomach spying for the British Empire anymore. He’s also heartbroken. The love of his life, radical journalist Caitlin Hanley, parted ways with him three years earlier so she could offer her services to the Communist revolution in Moscow. Then his former Secret Service boss offers McColl the chance to escape his jail sentence if he takes a dangerous and unofficial assignment in Russia, where McColl is already a wanted man. He would be spying on other spies, sniffing out the truth about MI5 meddling in a high-profile assassination plot. The target is someone McColl cares about and respects. The MI5 agent involved is someone he loathes. With the knowledge that he may be walking into a death trap, McColl sets out for Moscow, the scene of his last heartbreak. Little does he know that his mission will throw him back into Caitlin’s life—or that her husband will be one of the men he is trying to hunt down.

Download or read book Beyond a Fringe written by Andrew Mitchell and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2021-10-12 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Times Political Book of the Year A Daily Mail Political Book of the Year A Guardian Political Book of the Year An Independent Political Book of the Year Veering from the hilarious to the tragic, Andrew Mitchell's tales from the parliamentary jungle make for one of the most entertaining political memoirs in years. From his prep school years, straight out of Evelyn Waugh, through the Army to Cambridge, the City of London and the Palace of Westminster, Mitchell has passed through a series of British institutions at a time of furious social change – in the process becoming rather more cynical about the Establishment. Here, he brilliantly lifts the lid on its inner workings, from the punctilio of high finance to the dark arts of the government Whips' Office, and reveals how he accidentally started Boris Johnson's political career – an act which rebounded on him spectacularly. Engagingly honest about his ups and downs in politics, Beyond a Fringe is crammed with riotous political anecdotes and irresistible insider gossip from the heart of Westminster.

Download or read book The Downing Street Cats written by Michael Dias and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-09-28 with total page 26 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Downing Street Cats was brought to you by Neil Sean who spends many hours outside the famous black door reporting to the world .. Neil has promised to keep the secrets of Palmerston , Larry & Gladstone to only a select few who have bought this exclusive book As Larry himself purred to Neil " It's quite simply the Purrfect book for all cat lovers "

Download or read book Chief of Staff written by Gavin Barwell and published by Atlantic Books. This book was released on 2021-09-16 with total page 403 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: BOOK OF THE YEAR, The Times, Guardian and Prospect'Fascinating and instructive... his decency and pragmatism shine through.' The Times'Candid, valuable and insightful.' ObserverSince the EU referendum of 2016, British politics has witnessed a barrage of crises, resignations and general elections. Theresa May's premiership was the most turbulent of all. In her darkest hour, following the disastrous 2017 election, she turned to Gavin Barwell to help restore her battered authority. He would become her chief of staff for the next two years - a period punctuated by Brexit negotiations, domestic tragedy, and intense political drama.In this gripping insider memoir, Barwell reveals what really went on in the corridors of power - and sheds a vital light on May, the most inscrutable of modern prime ministers. He was by her side when she met Donald Trump, heard about the poisoning of the Skripals in Salisbury, and responded to the Grenfell Tower fire. He was also at the centre of Brexit talks with foreign leaders and MPs from across the house, including Boris Johnson, Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer. Revealing how government operates during times of crisis, this is the definitive record of a momentous episode in Britain's recent political history.

Download or read book Diary of an MP s Wife written by Sasha Swire and published by Abacus. This book was released on 2021-07 with total page 560 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: