Fenby Jonathan

17. června 1940 tisíce britských vojáků a letců, kteří zůstali ve Francii po evakuaci z Dunkirku, zahynuly poté, co jejich transportní loď, Lancastrii, zasáhl německý bombardér. Žádná jiná námořní katastrofa v britských dějinách si nevyžádala tolik obětí na životech, a jen málo katastrof světových se jí mohlo svým rozsahem rovnat. Churchill však v zájmu udržení morálky obyvatelstva tragické zprávy cenzuroval, a tak se Britové o této válečné tragédii nedozvěděli.

Tři velmi odlišní muži z velmi odlišných zemí zachránili v průběhu druhé světové války svět před nacismem. Zatímco jejich armády stále ještě bojovaly, Franklin Roosevelt, Josef Stalin a Winston Churchill mapovali obrysy poválečného světa během intenzivních a často vypjatých rozhovorů, které se táhly přes čtyři roky. Tato kniha vypráví o tom, jak tito muži zvítězili ve válce, utvářeli mír, avšak jejich původní naděje slábly, a sílící konfrontace východu se západem nakonec vedla ke studené válce.

Ďalšia publikácia z obľúbenej edície poskytuje jedinečný obraz Číny. Jednotlivé kapitoly sa zaoberajú prírodnými krásami i umeleckými výdobytkami ako sú kaligrafia, hodváb, porcelán, výrobky z laku a nefritu, maľby, bronzy, nábytok či záhrady. Priestor je poskytnutý nielen slávnym pamiatkam ale aj menej známym pozoruhodným sochám, palácom, hrobkám a kláštorom. Kniha predstavuje zatiaľ najrôznorodejšiu mozaiku tém o Číne.

This is a comprehensively updated account of where China stands today, covering the generational change in the leadership completed in March 2013, the Bo Xilai scandal and the changing course of the world's second largest economy and the last major state ruled by a Communist Party. Named as a book of the year by the Guardian, the Financial Times and Bloombery Business Week, it lays out the reality behind the spectacular statistics and explains why China has to change if it is to maintain its development and avoid major internal problems China's importance as an increasingly significant global force is a phenomenon of our times, but the world's most heavily populated nation has a history of catastrophe and tragedy, tyranny and repression, abject poverty, unfair business practice and corruption - and now faces environmental degradation and a demographic time bomb. In this compelling and lucid account based on years of research and first-hand experience, Jonathan Fenby links together the myriad features of today's China. He delivers a unique and coherent picture of its essence and evolution and contemplates its future - both alone and connected to the world around it. 'A bestselling examination of modern China by an experienced and fluent commentator' - Financial Times.

In 1850, China was the 'sick man of Asia'. Now it is set to become the most powerful nation on earth. The Penguin History of Modern China shows how turbulent that journey has been. For 150 years China has endured as victim of oppression, war and famine. This makes its current position as arguably the most important global superpower all the more extraordinary. Jonathan Fenby's comprehensive account is the definitive guide to this remarkable transformation.

With the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, the next two centuries for France would be tumultuous. Bestselling historian and political commentator Jonathan Fenby provides an expert and riveting journey through this period as he recounts and analyses the extraordinary sequence of events of this period from the end of the First Revolution through two others, a return of Empire, three catastrophic wars with Germany, periods of stability and hope interspersed with years of uncertainty and high tensions. As her cross-Channel neighbour Great Britain would equally suffer, France was to undergo the wrenching loss of colonies in the post-Second World War as the new modern world we know today took shape. Her attempts to become the leader of the European union is a constant struggle, as was her lack of support for America in the two Gulf Wars of the past twenty years. Alongside this came huge social changes and cultural landmarks but also fundamental questioning of what this nation, which considers itself exceptional, really stood - and stands - for. That saga and those questions permeate the France of today, now with an implacable enemy to face in the form of Islamic extremism which so bloodily announced itself this year in Paris. Fenby will detail every event, every struggle and every outcome across this expanse of 200 years. It will prove to be the definitive guide to understanding France.

Asian empires led the world economically, scientifically and culturally for hundreds of years, and posed a constant challenge to the countries of Europe. How and why did those empires gain such power, and lose it? What legacies did they leave? This major book brings together a team of distinguished historians and 200 illustrations to survey seven great Asian empires that rose and fell between 800 CE and the mid-20th century: the Mongol Empire, Ming Dynasty of China, Khmer Empire, Ottoman Empire, Safavid Empire of Persia, Mughal Empire of India and the Meiji Restoration in Japan. Splendidly illustrated and compellingly written, The Great Empires of Asia shows how those seven empires played a key role in forming today's global civilization - and how, with the renewed ascendancy of Asia, their legacies will help shape the continent's future.

The Times Book of the Year BBC History Magazine Book of the Year Daily Telegraph Book of the Year BOOK OF THE WEEK - The Times `The strength of this book lies in the cold realities it delivers. "The thirteen months of 1947-48," writes Fenby, "provide trenchant examples of how realpolitik can serve a wider purpose if those in power know how to use it." Crucible captures perfectly the urgency of the time...Read this book for the light it shines on a turbulent time; cherish it for the lessons it provides' - Gerard DeGroot 'Looking back 70 years Jonathan Fenby argues convincingly that the period from 1947 to 1948 "really did change the world". His book is an assured gallop across the terrain of contemporary history in this fateful year. The global devastation of the second world war had smashed longstanding institutions and bankrupted empires, leaving behind the kind of power vacuums that were major openings for change and chaos. Crucible swings from one region to the next in a fast-moving account of how local actors filled those vacuums, often with violence.' Mary Sarote, Financial Times One year shaped the world we know today. This is the page-turning story of the pivotal changes which were forged in the space of thirteen months of 1947-48 Two years after the end of the second conflict to engulf the world in twenty years, and the defeat of the Axis forces of Germany, Italy and Japan, this momentous time saw the unrolling of the Cold War between Joseph Stalin's Soviet Russia and the Western powers under the untried leadership of Harry Truman as America came to play a global role for the first time. The British Empire began its demise with the birth of the Indian and Pakistan republics with the flight of millions and wholesale slaughter as Vietnam, Indonesia and other colonies around the globe vied for freedom. 1948 also marked the creation of the state of Israel, the refugee flight of Palestinians and the first Arab-Israeli war as well as the victories of Communist armies that led to their final triumph in China, the coming of apartheid to South Africa, the division of Korea, major technological change and the rolling out of the welfare state against a backdrop of events that ensured the global order would never be the same again. This dynamic narrative spans the planet with overlapping epic episodes featuring such historic figures as Truman and Marshall, Stalin and Molotov, Attlee and Bevin, De Gaulle and Adenauer, Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-shek, Nehru and Jinnah, Ben Gurion and the Arab leaders. Between them, they forged the path to our modern world.

Tři velmi odlišní muži z velmi odlišných zemí zachránili v průběhu druhé světové války svět před nacismem. Zatímco jejich armády stále ještě bojovaly, Franklin Roosevelt, Josef Stalin a Winston Churchill mapovali obrysy poválečného světa během intenzivních a často vypjatých rozhovorů, které se táhly přes čtyři roky. Tato kniha vypráví o tom, jak tito muži zvítězili ve válce, utvářeli mír, avšak jejich původní naděje slábly, a sílící konfrontace východu se západem nakonec vedla ke studené válce.

The magnificent wonders of China, ancient and modern, revealed by an international team of leading scholars. China is the oldest continuous civilization on earth and holds a unique global place in the twenty-first century. The Great Wonders of China’s wide focus shows what makes China such a special country, with topics stretching from the natural wonders, including mountains and rivers, to the Silk Road; the technological innovations of printing and the compass; and the modern, vibrant cities of today as well as famous monuments, such as the Forbidden City in Beijing and the Great Wall. In this new and updated paperback edition, a team of leading scholars from Asia and the West provide a compelling history of China. Beyond the quality of the individual entries, The Great Wonders of China provides a chronicle of Chinese history and culture as well as helping readers understand and appreciate this vast country. 20 color illustrations