William Shawcross

Examines the work of international relief organizations, such as UNICEF, CARE, the Red Cross, OXFAM, and the World Council of Churches, in Cambodia

The official and definitive biography of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother: consort of King George VI, mother of Queen Elizabeth II, grandmother of Prince Charles—and the most beloved British monarch of the twentieth century.Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon—the ninth of the Earl of Strathmore’s ten children—was born on August 4, 1900, and, certainly, no one could have imagined that her long life (she died in 2002) would come to reflect a changing nation over the course of an entire century. Now, William Shawcross—given unrestricted access to the Queen Mother’s personal papers, letters, and diaries—gives us a portrait of unprecedented vividness and detail. Here is the girl who helped convalescing soldiers during the First World War . . . the young Duchess of York helping her reluctant husband assume the throne when his brother abdicated . . . the Queen refusing to take refuge from the bombing of London, risking her own life to instill courage and hope in others who were living through the Blitz . . . the dowager Queen—the last Edwardian, the charming survivor of a long-lost era—representing her nation at home and abroad . . . the matriarch of the Royal Family and “the nation’s best-loved grandmother.”A revelatory royal biography that is, as well, a singular history of Britain in the twentieth century.

Although there are many books and films dealing with the Vietnam War, Sideshow tells the truth about America's secret and illegal war with Cambodia from 1969 to 1973. William Shawcross interviewed hundreds of people of all nationalities, including cabinet ministers, military men, and civil servants, and extensively researched U.S. Government documents. This full-scale investigation with material new to this edition exposes how Kissinger and Nixon treated Cambodia as a sideshow. Although the president and his assistant claimed that a secret bombing campaign in Cambodia was necessary to eliminate North Vietnamese soldiers who were attacking American troops across the border, Shawcross maintains that the bombings only spread the conflict, but led to the rise of the Khmer Rouge and the subsequent massacre of a third of Cambodia's population."

From Simon & Schuster, The Shah's Last Ride is William Shawcross' unforgettable work of exile and American foreign policy.The acclaimed author of Sideshow , The Shah's Last Ride captures the behind-the-scenes drama of the Shah of Iran's strange journey into exile—and its crucial impact on American foreign policy and the rise of Ayatollah Khomeini.

Foreign-affairs journalist Williamm Shawcross travels around the world - Bosnia, Baghdad etc - to paint a messy portrait of the post-cold-war world. Deliver Us from Evil is very much an on-the-ground book, full of reportage & descriptions of world leaders such as UN chief Kofi Annan. It includes a strong point of view: the dewy-eyed, do-gooder mentality that drives so much contemporary international relations is, as far as Shawcross is concerned, deeply wrongheaded. Peacekeeping missions often find that there's no peace to keep. Expectations of what they can accomplish soar far too high. "Today 'humanitarianism' often rules. It becomes a sop to international concern, & then it can be dangerous," he writes. Coupled with a world of instant media, where CNN broadcasts live from the killing fields, humanitarianism fuels a strong desire to have immediate reconciliation between warring factions. But it's a delusional goal, says Shawcross, pointing to the American Civil War & how long (even after Appomattox) it took North & South to reconcile fully. There's no reason to think other torn nations will respond more quickly. Peacekeeping missions often promise a heaven on earth they cannot deliver. "In a more religious time it was only God whom we asked to deliver us from evil," concludes Shawcross. "Now we call upon our own man-made institutions for such deliverance. That is sometimes to ask for miracles." -John J. Miller

Written with the blessing and cooperation of the royal family, this beautifully illustrated portrait of England's long-time queen focuses on her private life, personal interests, and social and political role of a constitutional monarch in her nation. 35,000 first printing.

In this revised edition of his classic 1993 biography, William Shawcross updates the story of Murdoch's battles to extend his electronic footprint around the globe.A biography of international media baron Rupert Murdoch traces his rise from Australia, to London, to New York and Hollywood, emphasizing his business instincts, view to the future, and significance in and to international business

Since the Nuremberg Trials of 1945, lawful nations have struggled to impose justice around the world, especially when confronted by tyrannical and genocidal regimes. But in Cambodia, the USSR, China, Bosnia, Rwanda, and beyond, justice has been served haltingly if at all in the face of colossal inhumanity. International Courts are not recognized worldwide. There is not a global consensus on how to punish transgressors.The war against Al Qaeda is a war like no other. Osama bin Laden, Al Qaeda’s founder, was killed in Pakistan by Navy Seals. Few people in America felt anything other than that justice had been served. But what about the man who conceived and executed the 9/11 attacks on the US, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed? What kind of justice does he deserve? The U.S. has tried to find the high ground by offering KSM a trial – albeit in the form of military tribunal. But is this hypocritical? Indecisive? Half-hearted? Or merely the best application of justice possible for a man who is implacably opposed to the civilization that the justice system supports and is derived from? In this book, William Shawcross explores the visceral debate that these questions have provoked over the proper application of democratic values in a time of war, and the enduring dilemma posed to all victors in how to treat the worst of your enemies.

The Cold War certainties that had seemed so fixed in the 20th Century were overturned by the war in Iraq. Saddam Hussein's Republican Guards were the battlefield victims of a brutally quick war of shock and awe. No less shocked and awed were some of America's former "old" Europe, large blocks of the UN, and half the G8 nations suddenly found themselves outside the chain of command and influence.Bush, Blair, and their allies were driven by a new global vision. Their mission, expressed with great moral certainty, has been called imperialist. In fact, it was simply inevitable after 9/11: that terrible event ushered in a new era with new rules. Shawcross shows what the future will hold for Iraq, Israel, and the Middle East, how Western alliances will be changed forever, and demonstrates that the war was the definitive proof that a new era of 21st Century international politics has begun.

‘Enchanting, often moving and sometimes hilarious’ –Daily MailFull of wit, hilarity, acute observation and a deeply held sense of duty, the Queen Mother’s letters give readers a vivid insight into the person behind the public face.Edited by William Shawcross, Counting One's Blessings Part 3 reveals, in the Queen Mother's own words, the woman who brought a sense of ease and fun into the public and private lives of the Royal Family. We see her delight in her beloved daughters and her real anguish when she and her husband realized that he would become King because his brother Edward VIII was determined to abdicate. We read of her work during the Second World War, and her horror at the suffering it caused, her joy in the marriage of her daughter Elizabeth, and her grief at the tragically early death of the King in 1952.‘The warm personality and humour of the late, much-loved Queen Mother shines through in her letters, as does her affection for all, whether below or above stairs’ – Scotsman‘Recaptures her effervescent charm, and the simple fact that she was a good egg’ – Spectator‘How one warms to her!’ – Evening Standard

‘Enchanting, often moving and sometimes hilarious’ – Daily MailFull of wit, hilarity, acute observation and a deeply held sense of duty, the Queen Mother’s letters give readers a vivid insight into the person behind the public face.In Duchess of Counting One's Blessings Part 2, WIlliam Shawcross reveals, in the Queen Mother's own words, the young woman who, after a long courtship and two refusals, accepted the Duke of York’s proposal and, as his Duchess, brought a sense of ease and fun into the public and private lives of the Royal Family. We see her delight in her beloved daughters and her real anguish when she and her husband realized that he would become King because his brother Edward VIII was determined to abdicate.‘The warm personality and humour of the late, much-loved Queen Mother shines through in her letters, as does her affection for all, whether below or above stairs’ Scotsman‘Recaptures her effervescent charm, and the simple fact that she was a good egg’ Spectator‘How one warms to her!’ – Evening Standard

‘Enchanting, often moving and sometimes hilarious’ – Daily MailFull of wit, hilarity, acute observation and a deeply held sense of duty, the Queen Mother’s letters give readers a vivid insight into the person behind the public face.Edited by WIlliam Shawcross, Counting One's Blessings Part 1 reveals, in the Queen Mother's own words, the much-loved little girl writing teasing letters to her many siblings and friends; here, too, is the young woman who, after a long courtship and two refusals, accepted the Duke of York’s proposal.‘The warm personality and humour of the late, much-loved Queen Mother shines through in her letters, as does her affection for all, whether below or above stairs' – Scotsman‘Recaptures her effervescent charm, and the simple fact that she was a good egg’ – Spectator‘How one warms to her!’ – Evening Standard

Portrays the Czech leader who unsuccessfully attempted to reconcile communism and democracy, and describes his comeback amid the tumultuous events of 1989

s/t: Janos Kadar & the Politics of Hungary since Revolution

s/t: A Plea on Behalf of Hong KongThe author argues that Britain has neglected its moral responsibility towards Hong Kong at a time when a constructive policy is badly needed. He argues that the government should undertake to grant Hong Kong's 3 million UK passport holders "right of abode" in Britain or that it should establish a real democracy in Hong Kong (with a Bill of Rights and a proper constitution) that will last beyond 1997, the year when the UK hands over Hong Kong to the Chinese. William Shawcross is the author of "Sideshow" and "The Shah's Last Ride".

On May 23, 1993, after two decades of civil war, the people of Cambodia boldly embraced peace as nearly ninety per cent of registered voters voted in a United Nations-sponsored election. One year later there is still great uncertainty about the future of war-ravaged Cambodia. The genocidal Khmer Rouge continue to put up a fight. The country is still fractured politically, economically, and socially. William Shawcross vividly details the steps leading to Cambodia's new coalition government; paints an intimate portrait of the nation scene; and offers his own deeply knowledgeable perspective on the problems that a new Cambodia must face if it is to fully restore itself to nations life. Shawcross's lucid account begins a chronicle of post-election Cambodia that is likely to engage the international community for decades.

George Weidenfeld escaped Nazi Vienna and arrived in Britain as a penniless refugee at the age of nineteen. In a series of lively and perceptive 'conversations' with the distinguished biographer and author William Shawcross, George Weidenfeld describes his assimilation into English society, the evolution and success of the book publishing firm of Weidenfeld & Nicolson, and his close association with senior British politicians, including Prime Minister Harold Wilson, and his subsequent elevation to the peerage. But more than that, Conversations indicates the extraordinary breadth of international interests and ideas, combined with his remarkable gift for friendship. It has bought him into contact with many of the most fascinating people of the post-war era. A great publisher, a cultural impresario of legend, a power-broker and sage, George Weidenfeld conducted some wide-ranging and sharply perceptive conversations with William Shawcross over a period of weeks. Reading this book is akin to an invitation to the most glitteringly intellectual dinner-party.

Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes Lyon,the youngest daughter of the Earl of Strathmore, was born on 4 August 1900. It might reasonably have been expected that she would lead a life of ease and privilege but few could have imagined the profound effect she would have on Britain and its people. Her life spanned the whole of the twentieth century and this official biography tells not only her story but, through it, that of the country she loved so devotedly. Drawing on her private correspondence and other unpublished material from the Royal Archives, William Shawcross vividly reveals the witty girl who endeared herself to soldiers convalescing at Glamis in the First World War; the assured young Duchess of York; the Queen, at last feeling able to look the East End in the face at the height of the Blitz; the Queen Mother, representing the nation at home and abroad throughout her widowhood. It is the definitive portrait of a remarkable woman.

Although there are many books and films dealing with the Vietnam War, Sideshow tells the truth about America's secret and illegal war with Cambodia from 1969 to 1973. William Shawcross interviewed hundreds of people of all nationalities, including cabinet ministers, military men, and civil servants, and extensively researched U.S. Government documents. This full-scale investigation—with material new to this edition—exposes how Kissinger and Nixon treated Cambodia as a sideshow. Although the president and his assistant claimed that a secret bombing campaign in Cambodia was necessary to eliminate North Vietnamese soldiers who were attacking American troops across the border, Shawcross maintains that the bombings only spread the conflict, but led to the rise of the Khmer Rouge and the subsequent massacre of a third of Cambodia's population.