Michael Paterson

Mike Paterson

In his kaleidoscopic account of one of the greatest periods in British history, Michael Paterson describes the main figures, key events, and popular movements that made up the crucible from which our modern world emerged. From the Imperial wars far from home to the changing nature of work, the innovations in the role of women, the development of mass media, and the popularization of sport, Paterson investigates the claims that this was a Golden Age. -Cover

A Social History of Queen Victoria's Reign

A Brief History of Life in Victorian Britain

The Victorian and Edwardian eras in the run-up to 1914 marked the golden age of the English country house, when opulence and formality attained a level that would never be matched again. The ease of these perfect settings for flirtation and relaxation was maintained by a large and well-trained staff of servants. Although those 'in service' worked very long hours and had little personal freedom, many were proud of their positions and grateful for the relative security these gave. Indeed, the strictly hierarchical world below stairs could be more snobbish than that of a house's owners. Michael Paterson skilfully and entertainingly explores the myths and realities of this vanished world, both upstairs and down.

Masters and Servants in the Golden Age

Private Life in Britain's Stately Homes

Liz Crumlish

Creativity in Action

Pastoral Supervision

Alongside the open conflict of World War II there were other, hidden wars - the wars of communication, in which success depended on a flow of concealed and closely guarded information. Smuggled written messages, secretly transmitted wireless signals, or months of eavesdropping on radio traffic meant operatives could discover in advance what the enemy intended to do. This information was passed on to those who commanded the armies, the fleets and the bomber formations, as well as to the other secret agents throughout the world who were desperately trying to infiltrate enemy lines. Vital information that turned the tide of battle in North African desert and on the Pacific Ocean proved to have been obtained by the time-consuming and unglamorous work of cryptanalysts who deciphered the enemy's coded messages, and coded those for the Allies. From the stuffy huts of Bletchley Park to the battles in the Mediterranean, the French and Dutch Resistance movements and the unkempt radio operatives in Burma, the rarely-seen, outstanding stories collected here reveal the true extent of the 'secret war'. The ongoing need for secrecy for decades after the war meant that the outstanding achievements of wartime cryptanalysts could not be properly recognised. With vivid first-hand accounts and illuminating historical research, VOICES OF THE CODEBREAKERS reveals and finally celebrates the extraordinary accomplishments of these ordinary men and women.

Personal Accounts of the Secret Heroes of World War II

Voices of the Codebreakers

Presents the history of England's House of Windsor from 1917 to the present, looking at how the royal family has endeavored to make itself revelvant and why it has experienced a return to popularity in recent decades.

A Brief History of the House of Windsor

Pastoral supervision is undergoing a radical shift from the supervision of pastoral work to fostering the wellbeing of practitioners and systems alike. This book charts twenty years of developing thought, writing and practice and re-visions supervision as the intentional dialogue between Soul, Role and Context. Originally delivered in conferences, workshop and training events across the English speaking world, the material offered here expresses constructive impatience with the narrowness of earlier work - the writer's included - and urges a radical rethink of supervision that can truly be called pastoral and visionary.

Pastoral Supervision Revisited and Revisioned

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Jane Leach

Dit bijzondere boek biedt een heldere leidraad voor de praktijk van pastorale supervisie, begrepen als een kerkelijke kerndiscipline. De auteurs begeleiden sinds jaren mensen die professioneel werkzaam zijn in hun kerkgemeenschap – geestelijke begeleiders, pastorale medewerkers, pastores in de zorg, lokale geestelijken, opleidingsverantwoordelijken, christelijke vormingswerkers en jeugdwerkers. Elk hoofdstuk richt zich op een ander aspect van pastorale supervisie, met een Bijbels-theologische en menswetenschappelijke verankering, aangevuld met onderbouwde praktijkvoorbeelden. Aan het einde van elk hoofdstuk ondersteunen oefeningen de lezer in het nadenken over de eigen praktijk. De voorgestelde methoden zijn bruikbaar voor individuele en groepssupervisie.

Een handboek

Pastorale supervisie

Alongside the open conflict of World War II there were other, hidden wars - the wars of communication, in which success depended on a flow of concealed and closely guarded information.Smuggled written messages, secretly transmitted wireless signals, or months of eavesdropping on radio traffic meant operatives could discover in advance what the enemy intended to do. This information was passed on to those who commanded the armies, the fleets and the bomber formations, as well as to the other secret agents throughout the world who were desperately trying to infiltrate enemy lines. Vital information that turned the tide of battle in North African desert and on the Pacific Ocean proved to have been obtained by the time-consuming and unglamorous work of cryptanalysts who deciphered the enemy's coded messages, and coded those for the Allies.From the stuffy huts of Bletchley Park to the battles in the Mediterranean, the French and Dutch Resistance movements and the unkempt radio operatives in Burma, the rarely-seen, outstanding stories collected here reveal the true extent of the 'secret war'.The ongoing need for secrecy for decades after the war meant that the outstanding achievements of wartime cryptanalysts could not be properly recognised.With vivid first-hand accounts and illuminating historical research, VOICES OF THE CODEBREAKERS reveals and finally celebrates the extraordinary accomplishments of these ordinary men and women.

The character of the last Tsar, Nicholas II (1868-1918) is crucial to understanding the overthrow of tsarist Russia, the most significant event in Russian history. Nicholas became Tsar at the age of 26. Though a conscientious man who was passionate in his devotion to his country, he was weak, sentimental, dogmatic and indecisive. Ironically he could have made an effective constitutional monarch, but these flaws rendered him fatally unsuited to be the sole ruler of a nation that was in the throes of painful modernisation. That he failed is not surprising, for many abler monarchs could not have succeeded. Rather to be wondered at is that he managed, for 23 years, to hold on to power despite the overwhelming force of circumstances. Though Nicholas was exasperating, he had many endearing qualities. A modern audience, aware - as contemporaries were not - of the private pressures under which he lived, can empathise with him and forgive some of his errors of judgement. To some readers he seems a fool, to others a monster, but many are touched by the story of a well-meaning man doing his best under impossible conditions. He is, in other words, a biographical subject that engages readers whatever their viewpoint. His family was of great importance to Nicholas. He and his wife, Alexandra, married for love and retained this affection to the end of their lives. His four daughters, all different and intriguing personalities, were beautiful and charming. His son, the family's - and the nation's - hope for the future, was disabled by an illness that had to be concealed from Russia and from the world. It was this circumstance that made possible the nefarious influence of Rasputin, which in turn hastened the end of the dynasty. This story has everything: romance and tragedy, grandeur and misery, human frailty and an international catastrophe that would not only bring down the Tsar but put an end to the glittering era of European monarchies.

Nicholas II, The Last Tsar

Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning British monarch. A personally quiet, modest and dutiful person, she is far better-informed about the lives of her subjects than they often realize. She has known every Prime Minister since Winston Churchill and every American President since Eisenhower. Yet what of the woman behind the crown? This book seeks to take a new look at this exhaustively-documented life and show how Queen Elizabeth became the person she is. Who, and what, have been the greatest influences upon her? What are her likes and dislikes? What are her hobbies? Who are her friends? What does she feel about the demands of duty and protocol? Is she really enjoying herself when she smiles during official events? How differently does she behave when out of the public eye? Examining the places in which she grew up or has lived, the training she received and her attitudes to significant events in national life, it presents a fresh view of one of recent history's most important figures. In recent years, Queen Elizabeth has become the longest-reigning monarch in our history and has cut back on commitments. Nevertheless she is still very active and has made some wise decisions about who takes over a number of her duties.

Michael Paterson

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