Douglas Hurd Bücher

After a narrow Labour Party victory that is dependent on Scottish Labour votes, the young, ambitious and right-wing Alcester sweeps in as Tory leader of the opposition. He has married the previous Prime Minister's daughter, and when their baby boy is kidnapped in mysterious circumstances it leads to an upsurge of support for the bright new Party leader. Alcester redoubles his campaign to throw the Scots out of the UK and in parallel the SLA bid for independence - there is violence throughout the cities of Scotland. As the situation gets out of hand, the Prime Minister announces a referendum in favour of the Union and UK membership of the EU as the only way to check his ruthless young rival...

Douglas Hurd retired as Foreign Secretary in 1995 after a distinguished career in Government spanning 16 years. As Secretary of State for Ireland, Home Secretary and then six years in the Foreign Office in Margaret Thatcher and John Major's administrations, he was at the very heart of modern political decision-making. Earlier he had run Edward Heath's private office from 1968 to 1970 and acted as his Political Secretary when Heath was Prime Minister (1970-74). This, then, is the political memoir of a man who has been at the heart of government for a generation. the City as Chairman of the Advisory Committee of Hawkpoint Partners.

Douglas Hurd's fine political novel, set in the near future, eloquently conveys the sheer anarchic pressure of political life at the top - the way problems jostle for attention in the day, with the small ones prevailing because they are urgent, and the pressure slowly building until it distorts judgement and relationships. With the narrative momentum of a good thriller, THE SHAPE OF ICE reflects the way ominous events can develop from near-invisibility into momentous crises, like the slowly growing iceberg that finally sank the Titanic. PM Simon Russell's personal alarm clock is ticking away. Beyond No. 10, prison riots, bombs in Ireland, corporate blackmail in China and civil unrest in Russia jostle for attention. From the smallest details of the PM's office to the global significance of an international crisis, THE SHAPE OF ICE unfolds the political process with real authenticity.

The work of internationally renowned photographer Anthony Osmond-Evans has featured in publications throughout the world. With this book, he presents a pictorial tour of the diverse peoples and landscapes of the United Kingdom.