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In June 1975 Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed a state of emergency, resulting in a 21-month suspension of democracy. Jaffrelot and Anil explore this black page in India''s history, a constitutional dictatorship of unequal impact, with South India largely spared thanks to the resilience of Indian federalism. India''s First Dictatorship focuses on Mrs Gandhi and her son, Sanjay, who was largely responsible for the mass sterilisation programmes and deportation of urban slum-dwellers. However, it equally exposes the facilitation of authoritarian rule by Congressmen, Communists, trade unions, businessmen and the urban middle class, as well as the complacency of the judiciary and media. While opposition leaders eventually closed ranks in jail, many of them—especially in the RSS—tried to collaborate with the new regime. Those who resisted the Emergency, in the media or on the streets, were few in number. This episode was an acid test for India''s political culture. While a tiny minority of citizens fought for democracy during the Emergency, in large numbers the people bowed to the strong woman in power, even worshipped her. Equally importantly, Hindu nationalists were endowed with a new legitimacy. Yet, the Emergency was neither a parenthesis, nor so much a turning point but a concentrate of a style of rule that is very much alive today.

Foreword by Edward LucasSilverwhite is a captivating exploration of the eastern Baltic nations'' earliest history and interactions with peoples of the Mediterranean and the Near East. This journey meticulously outlines an answer to the true whereabouts of Thule, the unearthly northernmost land of ancient legend.Although Silverwhite is grounded in classical literature and extensive historical, astronomical and geographical fact, Lennart Meri--foremost a writer and filmmaker--weaves his travelogue with poeticism. Whereas a professional historian must show caution when using fantasy to patch gaps between facts, a poet is untethered. This epic work can also be read as a thriller: millennia ago, an enormous cosmic rock crashed into the Estonian island of Saaremaa. Through this extraordinary historical event, Meri brings together a curious cast including ancient Greeks, Arabs and Estonians. All genuinely existed and met, even if their names have been lost to oblivion.When Meri wrote Silverwhite, Estonia was occupied; forced into the restrictions of Soviet Russian colonialism. His work was a balm against that closed-minded and unnatural state, offering the unmistakable message that the world has never been divided into isolated islands of civilisation. Nations, eternally interconnected, have always shared knowledge and impacted one another in complex ways. Openness is inherent.

Richard Sorge is one of history’s most famous spies. This hard-drinking, womanising, motorcycle- crashing Soviet officer penetrated the German embassy in Tokyo during the 1930s and gathered intelligence credited with changing the course of the Second World War. It is an intriguing tale; but Sorge’s spy ring was just one chapter in a much longer history of Russian and Soviet espionage in and against Japan. Cracking the Crab tells the extraordinary full story of Russian intrigue targeting Japan, from first encounters in the eighteenth century to the Soviet declaration of war in August 1945. Colourful episodes include Gojong, King of Korea, being smuggled into the Russian legation dressed as a woman in 1896; the 1927 ‘Tanaka Memorial’, an infamous forgery purporting to be Japan’s hidden plan for world domination; and the secret intelligence of ‘Nero’, a Soviet agent supplying invaluable insight into Japanese strategy during the Second World War. From Russians murdered in broad daylight in Meiji Tokyo to Soviet honey traps and ‘white magic’ at the Battle of Nomonhan, this is a landmark history of the covert struggle between two great powers of the modern age.

Another India tells the story of the world''s biggest religious minority. Weaving together vivid biographical portraits of a wide range of Indian Muslims--elite and subaltern, secular and clerical, activist and apolitical--it brings the experience of the country''s Muslims under a single focus; and, by throwing light on the Indian Muslim condition during the first thirty years of independence, reflects on the true character of democratic India. What we have here is a rather different picture from received accounts of the ''world''s largest democracy''. Challenging traditional histories of Nehru''s India, Pratinav Anil shows that minority rights were neglected right from independence. Despite its best intentions, the Congress regime that ruled for three decades was often illiberal, intolerant and undemocratic. Muslims had to contend with discrimination, disadvantage, deindustrialisation, dispossession and disenfranchisement, as well as an unresponsive leadership. Anil demonstrates how the Muslim elite encouraged depoliticisation, taking up seemingly noble but largely inconsequential causes with little bearing on the lives of ordinary members of the community. There was no room for mass protests or collective solidarity in this version of Muslim politics. Another India explores this elite betrayal, whose consequences are still felt by India''s 200 million Muslims today.

This volume analyses the transformation of social sectarianism into political sectarianism across the Arab world. Using a framework of social theories and socio-historical analysis, the book distinguishes between ''ta''ifa'', or ''sect'', and modern ''ta''ifiyya'', ''sectarianism'', arguing that sectarianism itself produces ''imaginary sects''. It charts and explains the evolution of these phenomena and their development in Arab and Islamic history, as distinct from other concepts used to study religious groups within Western contexts. Bishara documents the role played by internal and external factors and rivalries among political elites in the formulation of sectarian identity, citing both historical and contemporary models. He contends that sectarianism does not derive from sect, but rather that sectarianism resurrects the sect in the collective consciousness and reproduces it as an imagined community under modern political and historical conditions.Sectarianism Without Sects is a vital resource for engaging with the sectarian crisis in the Arab world. It provides a detailed historical background to the emergence of sect in the region, as well as a complex theoretical exploration of how social identities have assumed political significance in the struggle for power over the state.

Like its African neighbours, Eritrea attained colonial statehood under a European power, in this case Italy. Yet, during decolonisation, its people were singularly excluded from the right to self- determination, for external reasons: superpower rivalry over the country’s strategic position on the Red Sea; a mistaken notion of irreconcilable sectarian differences within Eritrea’s population, invoked in order to brand it a society unfit for statehood; and Ethiopia’s imperial claim, based on mythical historical connections. The Ethiopian call for Eritrea’s return, supported by the UK and the US, sealed its fate at the international level. First, in the early 1950s, the UN General Assembly federated Eritrea as an autonomous unit under Ethiopian sovereignty; a decade later, Addis Ababa annexed it as a province—in neither case was the population consulted, sparking a liberation war.This vital book traces the genesis of the Eritrean independence struggle through hitherto unexplored local sources, both written and oral, analysed against the rather scanty existing literature on this period. Alemseged Tesfai refocuses the narrative on the actions, reactions and expectations of a relatively small nation, in both size and population, as it set out to right an international wrong, imposed by the Great Powers of the day.

In 2019, a people''s revolution ended the thirty-year reign of Sudan''s military president Umar al-Bashir. A transitional government took power, led by esteemed international economist Abdalla Hamdok and promising a return to civilian rule. But Sudan''s new government quickly imposed a shock therapy programme of cuts, privatisations and devaluation, following the diktat of foreign lenders. In 2021, as Sudan grew poorer, the army seized on popular discontent to launch a coup, burying hopes for a democratic transition. But why did Sudan''s first civilian government in more than a quarter-century bend to the will of creditors at this crucial moment in the country''s history? The answer lies in an unwieldy and unpayable debt burden that has long constricted Sudanese politics and society. Undoing a Revolution narrates the history of sovereign debt in Sudan from independence to the present, revealing the innovative policies adopted by Sudanese governments to manage their place in the global economy. But it also shows how external actors have leveraged the power of debt to impose their will and wreak havoc. With Sudan embroiled in civil war since 2023, Harry Cross explores the political implications of sovereign debt for states and societies across Africa, and around the world.

The question of whether there is a general, universal theory for the conduct of war has long preoccupied military thinkers, army personnel and students of conflict. Warfare has been radically transformed throughout history, under the influence of technological change. But is there anything enduring that can be determined about it, taught in military schools and applied in practice?Azar Gat offers a fresh look at the relationship between politics and war, examining the meanings of ‘victory’, offence and defence, and the significance and role of concepts like the ‘principles of war’ and military ‘doctrine’. He analyses the successive military innovations of modernity, including the advent of nuclear weapons and the ongoing cyber and robotics revolutions of our own times. He also explains why guerrilla warfare and terrorism have grown increasingly important, and where they are heading.With China and Russia posing a growing challenge to the global order today, Gat asks if war is truly in our nature—or if it is, in fact, declining. This is a vital text for all students of war, whether in academia, in the military or among the public at large.

A diverse history of the pipes--from inspiring terror on battlefields to enriching cultures worldwide.History''s first named bagpiper is a man playing a pipe ''with a bag tucked under his armpit'' in the first century CE. He was the Roman Emperor Nero. Since then, this improbable conflation of bag and sticks has become the world''s most beloved and contested instrument. Another piping emperor, Tsar Peter the Great, decided that his departed pet bear would live on--as a bagpipe.This vivid history tells the long story of an instrument boasting over 130 varieties, yet commonly associated with just one, from one country: Scotland''s Great Highland Bagpipe. In fact, the pipes are played across the globe, illuminating societies in remarkable, unexpected ways. Richard McLauchlan charts the rise of women pipers; investigates class, privilege and capitalism in the piping world; and explores how a ''national instrument'' can shift in meaning amidst the currents of identity.The vibrancy and inventiveness of today''s pipers showcase the allure of this fabled, fascinating instrument, to which McLauchlan is our surefooted guide.

Winner of the US - Russia Relations Book Prize from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts UniversityVladimir Putin''s first invasion of Ukraine, in 2014, set off a global economic clash, as the West used its clout with international markets to deter and penalise the Kremlin. The battlelines of this ''war by other means'' traversed a series of deep economic connections, built up during Russia''s oil, gas and commodities boom: global equity and capital markets, and transnational kleptocracy. Maximilian Hess''s startling book lifts the lid on Russia''s response to Western sanctions, and the ensuing skirmishes in London''s courts, on Swiss trading desks and in boardrooms in New Delhi. He explores how pipelines, mines, loans and crypto-markets were weaponised. This narrative sets the stage for Putin''s all-out assault on Kyiv in February 2022, which turned financial, food and fuel markets into bona fide battlefields, bringing the fight into everyone''s home, from Pennsylvania to Pakistan. Rather than a ''new Cold War'', we are witnessing a conflict over finance, energy and capital markets. How such economic warfare turns out will determine the future of liberalism and democracy; it will also set a precedent for economic relations between the West and China, as the two diverge into rival spheres of influence and power.

Huang Chin-tao was born in 1926, when Taiwan was still part of the Japanese Empire. By the time he died in 2019, Taiwan was a bustling, high-tech democracy--and Huang had lived through every twist and turn along the way. He served as a Japanese soldier in China during World War II; joined an armed uprising against Taiwan''s Chinese Nationalist post-war government; spent twenty-four years imprisoned during the island''s decades of martial law; and finally emerged to help lead the pro-democracy movement of the 1980s in his hometown, Taichung. Drawing upon archives, memoirs, interviews and more, Anna Beth Keim tells the story of Taiwan through the journey of one extraordinary individual. From his childhood scuffling with Japanese children to his transformation into a ''democracy farmer'', Huang''s life vividly reflects contemporary Taiwanese history, and continues to inspire young Taiwanese today who are fighting to keep their home independent. Over roughly a century, the island transitioned from an imperial outpost to an authoritarian state to a democracy--one still at risk of being snuffed out by China. This story is uniquely Taiwanese, yet illuminates experiences shared by countries everywhere: of colonisation and its aftermath, and the ongoing struggle to be free.

Field marshal and statesman Gustaf Mannerheim (1867-1951) was the most acclaimed and the most hated Finn of the twentieth century. After three decades of loyal and distinguished service in the Russian Tsarist army, he returned to his homeland in 1917 to defend its new independence. This iconic figure led the Finnish forces as Commander-in-Chief during both World Wars, then ended his career as President of Finland. This new critical biography sets Mannerheim''s entire life''s work, and his often nerve-wracking decisions as a Finnish leader on the world stage, against the backdrop of his elite upbringing and lifestyle, his adventurous imperial career, his outspoken anti-communism, and his keen instincts for great power politics. Painful details emerge about Mannerheim''s private life, and myths and rumours are scrutinised, as Henrik Meinander charts the complex legacy of this nationalist cosmopolitan who found himself fighting on the same side as Hitler. Meinander paints his portrait with strong contrasts and bright colours. This is the story of a multicultural Russian empire, a newborn nation-state treading warily between Europe''s military titans, a front of the Second World War not easily reduced to moral binaries--and, above all, a shrewd political operator playing many a dangerous game.

A New Statesman Book of the YearA Financial Times Summer ReadWhile it is central to today''s politics, few people fully understand the National Debt and its role in shaping the course of British history. Without it, Britain would not have gained--and lost--two empires, nor won its wars against France and Germany. But Britain has also been moulded by attempts to break free of the Debt, from postwar Keynesian economics to today''s austerity. Martin Slater writes a vivid tale coloured with some of the most dramatic incidents and personalities of Britain''s past--from clashes between King and Parliament, American independence and war in Europe, to the abolition of slavery, the development of the Union and the role of leading figures such as Pitt, Gladstone, Adam Smith and Keynes. From medieval times to the 2008 financial crash and beyond, The National Debt explores the changing fortunes of the Debt, and so of Great Britain.

For Washington, China is a strategic competitor: the only country with both the will to reshape the world order and, increasingly, the means to do so. For Europe, the People''s Republic is a ''partner for cooperation, an economic competitor and a systemic rival''. For NATO, it is a ''decisive enabler'' of Russia''s war against Ukraine. Yet Beijing''s image is far more positive in the Global South, of which the PRC considers itself a part.Zhou Bo''s essays unpack China''s own view of its role today. The PRC is operating not only in a world becoming less Western, but--more importantly--a West becoming less Western; and the key to its outlook lies in Africa, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific as much as in Europe and the White House.Are Moscow and Beijing really so closely aligned? Where are Sino-Indian relations headed? Is China a new Cold War foe for the West? Or will economic ties inevitably bring the two powers closer together?

A captivating journey through the lives of Christian mystics--from the early Church to the twentieth century.For 2,000 years, women and men of the Christian faith have experienced what some mystics call a ''dazzling darkness'': the spiritual journey to the heart of ultimate reality, or God. These direct communions have ranged from mild illuminations to a union consuming the mystic''s will.This book traces such spiritual figures'' lives, times and teachings, from early Christendom to modern mystics like Simone Weil and Thomas Merton. It explores how the anchoress Julian of Norwich grew up while the Black Death was devastating Europe; how, when the beguine Marguerite Porete lived, the Church was particularly primed to burn ''heretics''; and how Pierre Teilhard de Chardin developed his idea of spiritual evolution with Darwin''s theories in the air.Deeply researched and highly engaging, Dazzling Darkness tells the stories of towering figures like Hildegard of Bingen, Teresa of Ávila and John of the Cross, and highlights many lesser-known mystics, including Mary of Egypt, Seraphim of Sarov and Charles de Foucauld, allowing their voices to sing out to future generations.

Longlisted for the Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year 2024 Artificial intelligence is being used, on a massive scale, to decide who gets hired, fired and promoted. Through whistleblower exclusives, leaked internal documents and astonishing real-world practices, journalist Hilke Schellmann reveals the secret rise of AI in the world of work. Testing them herself, she discovers that many algorithms making these high-stakes calculations do more harm than good, and traces their origins to troubling pseudoscientific ideas about people’s ‘true’ essence. Interviewing experts, developers and ordinary workers, The Algorithm offers fascinating and alarming truths. From software analysing interviewees’ facial expressions and tone of voice, to video games assessing their performance, to ‘personality profiles’ built from candidates’ social media, almost all major employers use AI in recruitment. Programmes track their staff’s activity, group dynamics and physical health, identifying who is productive, a bully, worth long-term investment, or likely to quit. But can we trust them? In a world of severe job insecurity, workplace algorithms are on the brink of dominating or even threatening us — if we don’t fight back.