The Expense of Glory: A Life of John Reith

The life of John Reith is a classical tragedy, but one of baroque proportions. Reith founded, and for its first 14 years directed, the BBC, imbuing it with that Reithian ethos on which it arguably still runs and establishing a model for public service broadcasting all over the world. In the Britain of the 1930s he was a great man. But at the age of 50 he was persuaded to step down and though he was thereafter successively Chairman of Imperial Airways, Minister of Information under Chamberlain, Minister of Transport and then of Works under Chamberlain and High Commissioner of the Church of Scotland, he never again found a job which would absorb his prodigious talents and energies. His underemployment for the rest of his life vastly exacerbated the maniacal, self-contradicting aspects of his character. This biography uncovers Reith's life, using Reith's diary in the BBC archives which must form one of the most complete and extraordinary confessional documents of any figure in British public life in the 20th century.

The expense of glory: A life of John Reith

History

McINTYRE, Ian

Europe

Harper-collins Publishers

Ian McIntyre's biography, published to mark the bicentenary of Burns's death, strips away myth and legend and explores what lies beneath. It is based meticulously on documentary and archival sources, and uses only the first-hand testimony of those who knew the man. It sets Burns in his historical context, and paints both his emotional life and his political views in vivid colours. On public matters he had no difficulty in holding simultaneously two views that were contradictory. In his private life he could be effortlessly in love with several women at the same time, appallingly cruel one moment, wonderfully tender the next. McIntyre offers a more extensive evaluation of Burns's songs and poetry than most previous biographers. He stresses the importance and quality of the satirical verse, as well as the haunting love poems for which Scotland's 'bard' is best known. In an illuminating final chapter, he examines the extraordinary ramifications assumed after the death of the poet by the Burns legend, a fantastical 'afterlife' bearing little resemblance to biographical reality.

Dirt & Deity: A Life of Robert Burns

Biographies & Memoirs

Arts & Literature

Harpercollins

A biography of John Reith who founded and, for its first 14 years, directed the BBC, imbuing it with that Reithian ethos on which arguably it still runs, and establishing a model for public-service broadcasting all over the world. Reith's life was one of both tragic and baroque proportions. A product of Victorian Scottish morality, he stood monumentally for a world of absolutes and standards - of accent, of self-denial, of conduct and self-instruction. He harangued applicants for posts at the BBC with the sternness of his Presbyterian upbringing; he insisted female employees resign on marriage and dismissed male employees who divorced. Yet the great love of his life was not his long-suffering wife Muriel, but a man seven years younger than himself and in old age he had a series of passionate liaisons with much younger women. He was vain, self-absorbed and authoritarian, but he struggled with disappointment, depression, frustration and the faults in his character of which he was periodically aware.

This biography illuminates and explores the complexities and contradictions of Burns's character and personality, untangling the myth from the legend. Based on new evidence from 700 letters Burns wrote during his life, McIntyre concentrates on the circumstances of the writing of poetry itself, and paints a vivid picture of Burns's emotional and impulsive political views, the cruelty and gentleness of which he was capable, stressing the importance and the quality of the satirical poetry as well as the unforgettable love poetry immediately associated with his name.

Dirt & Deity: Life of Robert Burns

Harpercollins Pub, Ltd.

Garrick emerges from this book as one of the most splendid figures of the English 18th century and one of the happiest. He combined an electrifying stage presence with a reputation as a talented theatrical impressario; an ability to lead, inspire and cajole others made the Theatre Royal the theatrical light of its age. Garrick's popularity, together with his financial interest in Drury Lane, gave him security and social standing unequalled by any of his predecessors or contemporaries; he became the intimate of dukes and duchesses, portrait painters and prime ministers, bishops and bluestockings.

Garrick

TRAFALGAR SQUARE +

Joshua Reynolds

Penguin Uk

Dogfight examines the intense rivalry of the past two decades between the European Airbus consortium and the major U.S. aircraft manufacturers, Boeing and McDonnell Douglas. From the Americans' point of view, Airbus has been heavily subsidized by its supporting governments--indeed nearly nationalized--and not exposed to the risks and disciplines of the market place. From the European perspective, Airbus has been a standard-bearer for European technological, manufacturing, and marketing prowess in the face of historical American industrial domination. This dispute has spilled over the bounds of the purely commercial and become a serious transatlantic trade issue.Although there has been a certain amount of admiring writing about Airbus in Europe, there has been no previous attempt to weigh the issues even-handedly by exploring them on both sides of the Atlantic. Dogfight examines the roots of the conflict in the middle sixties and carries the story forward to the tentative agreement on some of the outstanding issues reached by the U.S. administration and the European Commission in the spring of 1992. In placing the controversy in its political and international context, the author has had access to many of the key players in the industry in both Europe and the United States and has interviewed a large number of politicians, officials, and senior airline and aircraft executives.

Dogfight: The Transatlantic Battle over Airbus

Business & Money

Biography & History

Praeger

Allen Lane.

Ian McIntyre's biography gives a careful analysis of Burn's songs and poetry and strips away the legend to explore what lies beneath. The figure that emerges is sharper, less idealized, perhaps more truly great, than in any previous biography.

Robert Burns: A Life

Welcome Rain Publishers

No other poet excites such fanatical, worldwide devotion as Robert Burns (otherwise known as Rabbie Burns, Scotland's Favourite Son, the Ploughman Poet, the Bard of Ayrshire or simply the Bard). Ian McIntyre's biography, first published to mark the bicentenary of Burns' death and revised here for the 250th anniversary of his birth, is still considered the best take on a notorious and often over-romanticised life. McIntyre's meticulous use of documentary and archival sources strips away myth and legend. Here, we meet the man - eminently capable of holding two contradictory political views at the same time, he was just as capable of being in love with several women at once. McIntyre also fully evaluates Burns' songs and poetry and brings to light the importance and quality of his satirical verse. McIntyre is enthusiastic but always objective and his work brings us the clearest, most sharply appreciated portrait of this great poet.

Constable Robinson

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by McINTYRE, Ian. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by McINTYRE, Ian

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by McINTYRE, Ian. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The expense of glory: A life of John Reith

Dirt & Deity: A Life of Robert Burns

The Expense of Glory: A Life of John Reith

Dirt & Deity: Life of Robert Burns

Garrick

Joshua Reynolds

Dogfight: The Transatlantic Battle over Airbus

Garrick

Robert Burns: A Life

Robert Burns: A Life