Revered for his strength of character when Britain stood aloneagainst Nazi Germany, Winston Churchill is painted as one of WorldWar II's most heroic figures-a characterization that overshadowshis faults, which have had their own devastating legacy. This book examines the decisions and policies of Churchillbetween June 1940 and December 1941 that actually hindered theAllied cause, extended the conflict, and even destabilized severalregions that remain in chaos to this day. With profound insight into Churchill's early colonial experiencesas well as his first tenure as First Lord of the Admiralty,Christopher Catherwood offers an honest appraisal of Churchill'sstrategies in a unique and fascinating perspective that separatesthe myth from the man.
In the first full-scale biography of Mary Stuart in more thanthirty years, John Guy creates an intimate, gripping portrait ofone of history's greatest women and depicts her world and her placein the sweep of history with stunning immediacy. Bringing togetherall surviving documents and uncovering a trove of new sources forthe first time, Guy dispels the popular image of Mary Queen ofScots as a romantic leading ladyachieving her ends through femininewiles and establishes her as the intellectual and political equalof Elizabeth I. Through Guy's pioneering research and "fabulouslyreadable" prose, we come to see Mary as a skillful diplomat,maneuvering ingeniously among a dizzying array of factions thatsought to control or dethrone her. An enthralling, myth-shatteringlook at a complex woman and ruler and her time, Queen of Scots"reads like Shakespearean drama, with all the delicious plottingand fresh writing to go with it" (AtlantaJournal-Constitution).
