Francis Beckett Bücher

Fatherly friend to JFK he repaired the rift between the USA and Britain created by the Suez crisis.

A history of the British left and its Communist Party.

Each of these chapters in this book of political counterfactuals describes a premiership that never happened, but might easily have done had the chips fallen slightly differently. The contributors, each of them experts in political history, have asked themselves questions what shape would the welfare state and the cold war have taken if the Prime Minister had been Herbert Morrison instead of Clement Attlee? What would have been consequences for Northern Ireland had Norman Tebbit succeeded Margaret Thatcher? How would our present life be different without New Labour - a name we would never have heard if either Kinnock or Smith had become Prime Minister and not Tony Blair? Each of the chapters in this book describes events that really might have happened. And almost did.

Set in May 1945, the narrative captures the atmosphere of celebration in Britain as the nation rejoices in victory and honors Winston Churchill's leadership. The story explores the complexities of post-war life, reflecting on the impact of the war on society and the changes that lie ahead. It delves into themes of hope, resilience, and the challenges of rebuilding a nation after conflict, highlighting the emotional and social landscape of a country on the brink of a new era.

Set in a dystopian future London, the narrative explores themes of extreme poverty and authoritarianism. The city is marked by third-world conditions, with tuc-tucs navigating the streets, reflecting a stark contrast to its historical grandeur. The story delves into the struggles of its inhabitants under a tyrannical government, highlighting the resilience and desperation of those living in this altered reality.

The story of Stoke City's kit man, Neil Baldwin, memorably played by Toby Jones in the 2014 BBC2 television film Marvellous, which received widespread critical acclaim.

John Beckett was a rising political star. Elected as Labour's youngest M.P. in 1924, he was constantly in the news and tipped for greatness. But ten years later he was propaganda chief for Mosley's fascists, and one of Britain's three best known anti-Semites. Yet his mother, whom he loved, was a Jew. Her ancestors were Solomons, Isaacs and Jacobsons, originally from Prussia. He successfully hid his Jewish ancestry all his life - he said his mother's family were "fisher folk from the east coast." His son, the author of this book, acclaimed political biographer and journalist Francis Beckett, did not discover the truth until John Beckett had been dead for years. He left Mosley and founded the National Socialist League with William Joyce, later Lord Haw Haw, and spent the war years in prison, considered a danger to the war effort. For the rest of his life, and all of Francis Beckett's childhood, John Beckett and his family were closely watched by the security services. Their devious machinations, traced in records only recently released, damaged chiefly his young family. This is a fascinating and brutally honest account of a troubled man in turbulent times.

A unique portrait of one of the great British statesmen of the twentieth century.

Takes a close look at the complex financial structures in Blair's world. From the many layers of tax liability to the multiple conflicts of interest produced by his increasing web of relationships, this book exposes the private dealings of this very public figure