The tempestuous years of Margaret Thatcher and John Major. An insider's account of the rivalries and battles that eventually brought down the Conservative government. The Best of Enemies is the political diaries of Norman Fowler, one of the most significant politicians of the late twentieth century. Covering the entire Thatcher/Major era – from the former's election in 1979 to the latter's defeat in 1997 – during which time Fowler held prominent positions in the Cabinet. As Transport Secretary he was responsible for making seat belts compulsory and later, as Health Secretary, he worked to draw public attention to the dangers of Aids. He was Chairman of the party from 1992–94. His diaries observe both Prime Ministers, and their Cabinet colleagues, at close quarters and Fowler brings his training as a journalist to bear on them. The diaries are full of insights and anecdotes and they resonate powerfully with the situation facing the Conservative Party today, including industrial strife, waning authority and a Labour Party looking like a government in waiting. The entries raise other issues that remain unresolved. They range from the effect that a minister's private sexual conduct should have on their career to whether an entirely 'hands-off' approach to industrial strategy is in the national interest. Fowler's diaries provide a ringside seat to the struggles of their time. These are not the diaries of an ex-minister seeking to justify their own record. They are the story of how two Prime Ministers rose and fell and caused their party to split apart, told by someone who was there.
Eighteen million people around the world live with HIV but do not know they are infected. Endangering both themselves and countless others, they represent a public health challenge that affects not only Africa but every part of the world, including Europe and the United States. We stand at a tipping point in the AIDS crisis - and unless we can increase the numbers tested and treated, we will not defeat it. In spite of the progress since the 1980s there are still over 1.5 million deaths and over 2 million new HIV infections a year. Norman Fowler has travelled to nine cities around the globe to report on the position today. What he discovered was a shocking blend of ignorance, prejudice, bigotry and intolerance. In Africa and Eastern Europe, a rising tide of discrimination against gays and lesbians prevents many from coming forward for testing. In Russia, drug users are dying because an intolerant government refuses to introduce the policies that would save them. Extraordinarily, Washington has followed suit and excluded financial help for proven policies on drugs, and has turned its back on sex workers. In this lucid yet powerful account, Norman Fowler reveals the steps that must be taken to prevent a global tragedy. AIDS: DON'T DIE OF PREJUDICE is both an in-depth investigation and an impassioned call to arms against the greatest public health threat in the world today
Raleigh: North Carolina's Capital City on Postcards contains more than two hundred postcard images, which together capture much of what life was like in the "City of Oaks" and its neighbors in Wake County during the first half of the twentieth century. The Raleigh area has experienced tremendous growth since World War II, and much of what is fondly remembered by old-timers has been lost to the demands of development and the rigors of time. Some of the well-known landmarks, businesses, and characters, however, were captured on film by enterprising postcard photographers who were unknowingly creating an invaluable archive of historical data which now gives us an insight into the way life was lived in North Carolina's capital during the "Golden Age of Postcards." This wonderful new book brings to life the history of this diverse and dynamic region through carefully selected postcards from that era, accompanied by informative and insightful captions as well as a helpful essay on the history and importance of postcards.
Lane Myles a carpenter and wife Sam an investment banker flee the crime wave of their Chicago suburb and become the criminals. We follow them as they protect a billion-dollar heiress caught in the crossfire. Between her depot grandparents at war with the CIA and the FBI and her mother. From its roots in a Chicago suburb being overrun by undesirables the white privileged couple is forced to plan the murder of a CIA assassin that has become a liability. With a rogue defense department contractor pulling their strings they are tied up into a conspiracy so deep they believe no one can ever dig them out. Except this one Las Vegas detective. Las Vegas it becomes a game of sex & justice with planted evidence, kidnapping, murder, and international money laundering. When the assassin is finally dead, they've stopped a trafficking ring, bought a hotel, and amassed a fortune. And that's only the beginning. It's a dark journey through the twisted social fabric of America where no one is innocent, the facts don't matter and when it comes to crime, the best story told becomes the truth.
This is the first report of the 2008-09 session from the Select Committee on Communications on the subject of Government Communications (HLP 7, ISBN 9780104014189). One of the most important tasks of government is to provide clear, truthful and factual information to citizens. Accurate and impartial communication of information about government policies, activities and services is critical to the democractic process. Government communication falls into two areas, with the media and with the public. The growth in the 24 hour media, has meant that the cost of Government communications have grown considerably. The last external review of Government communications took place in the 2003-04 session by Sir Robert Phillis, the Chief Executive of the Guardian Media Group (http://archive.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/gcreview/News/FinalReport.pdf). Since that review a number of changes to the structure and focus of Government Communications has taken place. This report sets out a number of recommendations, including: when there is sensitive information, the Government should commit to return to Parliament at the earliest opportunity to give an account of developments; that the Prime Minister should draw all Ministers' attention to the guidance in the Ministerial Code that the most important announcements of Government policy should be made in the first instance to Parliament; further, that new information should always be provided on a fair and equal basis to all interested journalists; that the morning briefing to journalists, should appear live on the Number 10 website; that the Leader of the House of Commons should reinstate a weekly briefing on parliamentary business; that all major press conferences should be live on the internet; it is important that Ministers make clear that special advisers must follow the guidance available and stay within set limits; that where possible, high-flying civil servants should spend a period of service in the departmental press office; that the Chief Executive of the Central Office of Information should take the lead in improving standards, with training and guidance to regional press officers, tailoring regional press releases, having greater contact with the regional media and making more senior officials and Ministers available for interview on the local impact of policies; the Committee states that Government information should always be available and accessible to as many people as possible and that the Cabinet Office should collate annual statistics on the costs of Government Communications across departments.
Oh I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside - Christopher Fowler Christopher Fowler explains "'. . . Seaside' came about firstly because I was commissioned to write a story for the World Horror Convention souvenir book and, as the event was to take place in Brighton, it seemed logical to set a tale on the South coast of England. "I had written a fantasy novel, Calabash, some years earlier, hinting at the dark madness of such seaside towns, which are the antithesis of their Mediterranean counterparts. I thought of the depressing Morrissey song "Every Day is Like Sunday", which captures the awfulness of English resorts. "Coincidentally, Kim Newman and I were discussing the inherent creepiness of pantomime dames, and I decided it was time to give vent to my horror of these coastal pleasure domes. I wish I'd thought to include screaming gangs of hen-nighters as well. And I thought it was a nice touch to have everyone in the story telling the hero to 'fuck off' until he finally does." Featherweight - Robert Shearman "I don't like writing at home much," admits the author. "Home is a place for sleeping and eating and watching afternoon game shows on TV. There are too many distractions. So, years ago, I decided I'd only write first drafts in art galleries. "And the best of them all is the National Gallery, in London, a pigeon's throw from Nelson's Column. I can walk around there with my notebook, thinking up stories - and if I get bored, there are lots of expensive pictures to look at. Perfect. "A lot of those paintings, however, have angels in them. They're all over the place, wings raised, halos gleaming - perching on clouds, blowing trumpets, hovering around the Virgin Mary as if they're her strange naked childlike bodyguards. And I began to notice. That, whenever the writing is going well, the angels seemed happy, and would smile at me. And whenever the words weren't coming out right, when I felt sluggish, when I thought I'd rather take off and get myself a beer, they'd start to glare. "I wrote this story in the National Gallery. Accompanied by a lot of glaring angels. Enjoy." Lesser Demons - Norman Partridge "I was surprised to receive an invitation for S.T. Joshi's Black Wings," reveals Partridge, "an anthology of Lovecraftian fiction. Although I knew S.T. admired my work, I've never quite seen myself as a Mythos writer. "While I respect H.P. Lovecraft and his contribution to horror, I've never felt that his worldview (or maybe I should say universeview) meshed with mine. "In the end, that's what made the story work . . . at least for me. I concentrated on my differences with Lovecraft, and approached the material from a place where Jim Thompson would be more comfortable than HPL. And I'm delighted that so many people have enjoyed the tale - it was a lot of fun to write.
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