Biteback Publishing

Have you ever wondered what the most powerful words in historyar? he right political slogan, used at the right time by theright party, can have profound consequences on people's lives. And yet thisaspect of political campaigning has been comprehensively overlooked. Thousandsof books about politics, marketing and election campaigns are published everyyear, but none has focused specifically on the election slogan - until now. Drawing on a database of more than 20,000 slogans, thisgroundbreaking book uncovers the remarkable fact that just eight 'hit' wordshave been central to the successful outcome of most major elections. FromFranklin D. Roosevelt's 'New Deal for the American People' to Nelson Mandela's'A Better Life for All', these potent words have spanned continents andideologies, toppled governments, ended conflicts, inspired sweeping societaltransformations and been echoed by democratic and authoritarian regimes alike. Through exclusive interviews, campaign insights and voterpsychology, Eight Words That Changed the World reveals why somewords resonate deeply while others fall flat and how their use shapes politicaloutcomes. A single word can mean the difference between victory and failure -and the right words deployed at the right time hold the key to power. More thanjust a study of political messaging, this is a guide for anyone seeking tounderstand the power of language in changing the world.

Trust in government has hit rock bottom. From Partygateand the chaos of Covid to the Peter Mandelson affair and open fights betweenministers and civil servants, the hidden wiring has been sparking for all tosee. When tragedies like Grenfell or the Post Office scandal occur, governmentsare glacially slow and accountability goes missing. As successive Prime Ministers catastrophicallyfall, many say Britain is broken. Part memoir, part manifesto, Bad Government takesus behind the famous black door of government to reveal why the ship of stateis so hard to steer. As the first female private secretary in No.10, theauthor was the only other woman in the room when Margaret Thatcher resigned. Having shaped reforms under both Thatcher and Blair before working to tacklegender inequalities and deepen government's connection with civil society, shenow offers an unprecedented insider's view of how the system evolved, why it isbreaking and how it can be fixed. Exploring why successive Prime Ministers have failed intheir promises to reset government and rebuild trust, this arresting book drawson compelling personal insights, weaving together forty years of history withthe crises of today. This is a vital look at the urgent need for a differentmodel of government before the electorate loses faith entirely.

"The key missing piece in the Brexit story" Tim Shipman, TheSpectator | "A wonderful read from one of the most quietlyinfluential people in politics in recent decades." Chris Mason, BBCThe 2016 Brexitreferendum caused a political earthquake, with aftershocks that are still beingfelt a decade later. For many, including some who voted to leave, the resultcame as a surprise. But for one man, it was not. The outcome that stunned somany was something he had been working to achieve for twenty years. You may not have heardof Matthew Elliott, but you should have. He is one of Britain's most successfulcampaigners, a reserved and thoughtful strategist who has single-handedly shapedour political landscape. In 2011, he staved off an attempt to change our votingsystem through the successful NOtoAV campaign. Then, five years later, hesteered Vote Leave to victory as its chief executive. This extraordinarymemoir spans the period from the build-up to Brexit during the 1990s to thepresent day, providing a fresh perspective on what really went on during thecampaign, how the result was won and its bitter aftermath. With his customary candourand wit, Matthew reveals what it's like working side-by-side with Boris Johnsonand Dominic Cummings, their dealings with Nigel Farage and the tricks of thetrade that campaigners use to shape the news. Here, ten years onfrom the EU referendum, is the definitive story of Brexit, as told by the manwho had a front-row seat to the most extraordinary political campaign of the modernera.

WhenRussia invaded Ukraine in 2022, thousands of Ukrainian citizens strapped onarmour, picked up weapons and chose to risk their lives for the freedom oftheir homeland. Many would never return. Choosing to stay in Ukraine and coverthe invasion, journalist Tom Mutch witnessed the forging of an 'iron generation'of young Ukrainians. Withfirst-hand reporting from all the major battlegrounds and front lines, TheDogs of Mariupol recounts not only the war's notorious encounters but alsoits untold stories, painstakingly documenting the immense human catastrophewrought on Ukrainian society and the divisions between those who fought andthose who fled. Afterfour years of conflict, Ukraine holds on, but a peace agreement remains elusive. Meanwhile, the death toll only rises. In this revised and expanded edition, TomMutch charts the struggles behind the headlines - both of ordinary Ukrainiansand their wartime leaders - and positions the invasion within the changing faceof warfare and the breakdown of the global order itself.

Who was the greatest Jewish footballer ever? A question to leave even the most historically literate football experts scratching their heads. And yet, before the Holocaust, Jewish superstar players were at the heart of European football. So too were the visionary Jewish coaches reinventing tactics; the Jewish footballing pioneers who shaped the modern game; and even the elite Jewish referees trusted with the biggest matches. Digging Deep excavates a destroyed civilisation. It reveals the untold stories of eleven Jewish football greats - icons one minute, marked for extermination the next. Setting exhilarating sporting triumphs against the gathering darkness of twentieth-century Europe, it restores these forgotten men to their rightful place in the football pantheon. More than a sports book, this is a journey through the beautiful game into the savage reality of the Holocaust - tracing human sagas that speak of ambition and glory, identity and belonging, terror and murder.

Dallas, 22 November 1963. The main event is supposed to be downtown, on Main Street. News footage shows office workers leaning out of windows, peering at the motorcade through a blizzard of ticker tape. On the sidewalks, the crowds are fifty deep, a wall of noise and celebration. Everyone thinks this is the place to be. A few blocks away, in Dealey Plaza, the air is different. There is no ticker tape here. The crowds are thin. The only person filming is a dressmaker balanced on a concrete plinth. In this quiet corner, there's a man opening an umbrella even though it isn't raining, a construction worker in a hard hat who claims he was sent here by God, three tramps who stand on the verge of becoming suspects, an unidentified witness known only as the Babushka Lady, and many more. This is not a book about conspiracies or a lone gunman. This is a book about memory, about how we construct our shared history, and about what happens when your life is defined by a single, fleeting moment. It's about a group of real people who opted out of the main event before John F. Kennedy was assassinated, only to find themselves accidental witnesses to the most scrutinised six seconds of the twentieth century.

Europe, 1940. Naziforces sweep across the continent, with a British invasion likely only weeksaway. Never before has a resistance movement been so crucial to the war effort. In this comprehensiveappraisal of Anglo-Norwegian cooperation in the Second World War, Tony Insallreveals some of the most striking successes of the Norwegian resistance,particularly the reports produced by the heroic SIS agents living in thecountry’s desolate wilderness. Their coast-watching intelligence highlightedthe movements of the German fleet and led to counter-strikes that sank manyenemy ships – most notably the Tirpitz in November 1944. Delving deep into thearchives, Insall also shows how SIS and SOE’s effective cooperation with theirNorwegian counterparts produced some of the most remarkable achievements of thewar. This fully updatededition draws on a wealth of new source material, revealing previously unknownstories of fraught sea crossings, a disastrous British-Norwegian operation,covert dealings with the Russians and much more.

Inthis explosive, no-holds-barred account of the life of a globally renownedclassical musician, Julian Lloyd Webber lifts the lid on a professionpreviously shrouded in mystery. Fromvivid descriptions of his childhood in one of the world's most famous musicaldynasties to unfiltered stories from his incredible career - includingcollaborations with such stars as Yehudi Menuhin, Joaquin Rodrigo, Elton John,and his brother, Andrew Lloyd Webber - Bows and Arrows reveals acut-throat world of agents, promoters, record companies, violin dealers andsubstance abuse, laying bare the classical music industry as never before. Withrefreshing honesty and humour, Julian recounts the break-up of three of hisfour marriages, his lifelong passion for ensuring that every child has a chanceto play a musical instrument and his devastation at the injury that forced himto stop playing and sell his Stradivarius cello in 2014. This earth-shatteringloss, however, led him to discover a new calling as principal of a leadingroyal conservatoire and to double down on his efforts as a tireless champion ofmusic education, working closely both with government and charities. Culminatingin Julian's return to the stage for the first time in twelve years, Bows andArrows is a powerful story of passion, loss and a life reborn.

Updated 2026 edition,including never-before-seen photos and new epilogue. In the summer of 1999,Michael Ashcroft (now Lord Ashcroft) became the subject of concerted attacksaimed at unseating him as Treasurer of the Conservative Party. His attackerswere The Times newspaper and the New Labour Government of Tony Blair. The ultimate target wasWilliam Hague (now Lord Hague), whose leadership would be destabilised and thefinances of his party undermined had his Treasurer been forced from office. This book is the personalaccount of Lord Ashcroft's six-year fight, first to resist a succession ofwholly unjustified attacks, then to clear his damaged name and, finally, toexpose the dirty tricks used against him - some of them even exploiting thefruits of criminal acts. Wapping and New Labourwere to discover that they had taken on a formidable, resourceful anddetermined opponent, one who would go on to reveal unacceptable aspects of bothnational newspaper journalism and British politics. This book sheds new lighton the extraordinary life of an essentially private man. Lord Ashcroft, whoremains as committed as ever to the Conservative Party and its values, alsoreveals how he helped the party through one of the most troubled periods in itshistory. The book, however, endson a positive note - with Lord Ashcroft, at eighty years old, full of energyand vigour, and still embracing his work and his passions. These include hisvaried business interests, his charitable work, his writing, his polling,championing bravery and supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia.

In the 1980s, politicians declared war on football;football supporters declared war on each other inside crumbling stadiums thatresembled bomb sites and the '82 and '86 World Cups were played against thebackdrop of the Falklands conflict. It was a decade in which some fans diedwatching the game they loved, and at times, the 'slum sport' seemed set toimplode. Yet, remarkably, the game was on the cusp of morphing into thebehemoth it has become today. Set against a backdrop of economic recession,rampant hooliganism and suspect fashion, Go To War tells the story ofhow triumph and tragedy shaped English football during the 1980s. Throughoutthis explosive book, author Jon Spurling delves into the stories behind thesuccesses and strife. Thirty years in the making, Go To War drawson interviews conducted with '80s icons including Terry Butcher, Graeme Sharpand Ray Wilkins, managerial legends like Howard Kendall and Bobby Robson and FACup heroes Ricky Villa and Norman Whiteside. Like its precursor, thebestselling Get It On, Go To War provides a unique insight into apivotal footballing decade.

In this lively and colourful history, royal expert TomQuinn goes behind palace doors to give a compelling glimpse of Britain’sroyals, ancient and modern. From medieval times, when the Groom of the Stooloversaw the monarch’s lavatorial exploits, below-stairs staff have always had aunique insight into the lives of their royal masters. Through the eyes of serving and recently retired staff,we see how today’s royals live – including how the relationship between Meghanand Harry and William and Kate started with high hopes and descended intobitterness and anger. Now fully updated with a scandalous new chapterrevealing how the former Prince Andrew’s life has changed since being cast outby the royal family, Yes, Ma’am is the ultimate insight into what reallymakes the royal family tick – after all, who better to ask than their army ofservants and staff, past and present?

We are living through anera of extraordinary technological progress, political turmoil and socialupheaval. In the face of such change, how can we chart a course to a brighterfuture? How can citizens, business leaders and politicians get ahead at a time ofseemingly perpetual uncertainty? The Future Habit isa practical and provocative guide for building the one capability we all needto stay ahead of the game: a disciplined habit of working with the future. Drawing on cognitive science, applied foresight and decades of strategicexperience, the book introduces an actionable framework for cultivating a 'futureedge' - a repeatable process of anticipating, adapting to and shaping emergingrealities. It offers a methodicalapproach to working with the future in real-world contexts - throughpredictions, pre-mortems, scenario work, narrative exploration and the creativeintegration of AI. Having spent years embedding foresight in companies at theforefront of the tech revolution, the authors ensure that The FutureHabit will make a positive difference to all readers who follow itslessons. But this is not only astrategic playbook: it's a generous and optimistic reassessment of our sharedtomorrow. By prompting us to expand our mental horizons and consider theabundant possibilities of long-term thinking, the book shows that the future isnot something we predict; it's something we practise.

On12 May 2019, Manchester City became the first team to retain the Premier Leaguetitle for a decade. Twenty years earlier, the same club was slogging its wayout of Division Two, having sunk ignominiously to the third tier, its glorydays well behind it. Ordinarily,the tale of a sleeping giant awaking to stomp over the competition would becelebrated far beyond the core fan base. But City's success is tiedinextricably to its takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008, an eventthat altered the club's horizons beyond any plausible recognition. Theinjection of billions of pounds into the club amid accusations that Abu Dhabiis 'sportswashing' its reputation tarnished City's treble-winning season in2022/23, as have serious charges of financial impropriety from the PremierLeague. GloryDays for the Waifs and Strayscharts this route from noble rags to uncomfortable riches and unpacks what itmeans when a team's lowest lows and highest highs occur improbably within ageneration. It amounts to a story like no other in modern football: thedistance travelled from there to here, the greats on either side of the whiteline and the uniquely divisive means by which this has been achieved. ManchesterCity have defined an era in English football. This is the tale of how thathappened and why it matters.

Inthis extraordinary new book, former Secretary of State Penny Mordaunt and co-authorChris Lewis build on the success of their Sunday Times-bestselling Greater:Britain After the Storm to celebrate the traditions and values thatunderpin British life. Pomp& Circumstance exploresBritain's traditions - both the ancient and the new. From coronations andnational events to local customs, they provide stability, reinforce identityand foster resilience to help us steer a course through the uncertainties oftomorrow. Nations, organisations and communities that have them thrive. Where theyare absent, it is harder to adapt to the fast-changing world. Ata time of great worry about our ability to adapt to an uncertain world, thisbook should give every Briton confidence and courage. It contains a uniqueperspective from someone who has had a ringside seat at many of our national eventsand crises over many years. Mordaunt, who in her ceremonial role as LordPresident of the Council famously carried the Sword of State and presented theJewelled Sword of Offering to King Charles III at his coronation, examines areasof traditional British culture - including the monarchy, Parliament, the law,sport and local traditions, as well as values such as sacrifice, courage andremembrance - to show how a country often thought of as old-fashioned actuallyuses its historical conventions to navigate the future. Farfrom being a brake on progress, our traditions offer a predictable rhythm tolife, promote values, encourage reflection and create a sense of continuitywhile allowing room for innovation and growth.

Once,political whips swore by a code of omerta... 'Thetheory was that you never discussed what went on in the whips' office untilyour dying day, as though you worked at Bletchley Park.'... But not any more. Thoughdecades of silence have fostered intrigue, mythology and suspicion about theiractivities, the whips' office has long played a crucial role in Westminster, greasingthe parliamentary machine and keeping rebellious MPs in check. But while whipsappear all-knowing and ever-present, are they still all-powerfu? heUsual Channels pullsback the curtain on one of Westminster's most notorious elements and explores whetherwhips still have the upper hand. Chartingeccentric traditions and colourful characters, this authoritative guide is notonly an insight into the workings of a crucial institution; it is also amasterclass in the past fifty years of British political history.

Bythe standards of most clubs, Arsenal's 2024/25 season was a resounding success. They had hoped to go one better than second place in the Premier League andreaching the semi-final of the Champions League. The fact that they did notshouldn't detract from an exciting and tumultuous season in which Arsenalovercame controversial referee decisions and a swathe of injuries to deliveroutstanding highs such as thrashing Manchester City, routing PSV Eindhoven in arecord-breaking 7-1 win and triumphing over Real Madrid. Arsenal:On the Edge is acomprehensive analysis that delves into everything from squad-building andselections to triumphs and controversies, reflecting on what the team need todo to ensure that 2025/26 sees the end of Arsenal's twenty-year wait for thePremier League title.