The 'heroes' of John Pilger's narrative are the many ordinary people he has witnessed coping with their lives in difficult & often brutal conditions: dissidents in the Soviet Union; victims of conflicts in Vietnam, Cambodia, Africa, India, the Middle East & Central America. They also include the Irish labouring generation of his great-great-grandfather, transported in irons to Australia for uttering 'unlawful oaths'. It is a vivid, engrossing & sometimes blackly amusing personal story covering the periods for which his journalism is renowned. John Pilger has witnessed many of the major world upheavals of the past thirty years, as well as the daily realities of injustices normally hidden from society's view, & his reporting of these events has always been distinguished by his compassion for the ordinary people caught up in them, & the intense desire to tell the truth. ...

The 'heroes' of John Pilger's narrative are the many ordinary people he has witnessed coping with their lives in difficult & often brutal conditions: dissidents in the Soviet Union; victims of conflicts in Vietnam, Cambodia, Africa, India, the Middle East & Central America. They also include the Irish labouring generation of his great-great-grandfather, transported in irons to Australia for uttering 'unlawful oaths'. It is a vivid, engrossing & sometimes blackly amusing personal story covering the periods for which his journalism is renowned. John Pilger has witnessed many of the major world upheavals of the past thirty years, as well as the daily realities of injustices normally hidden from society's view, & his reporting of these events has always been distinguished by his compassion for the ordinary people caught up in them, & the intense desire to tell the truth. ...

In the history of warfare, an elite group of men have attained almost legendary status through their courage, ambition & unrivalled military genius. But many of these same men possessed deep personal character flaws. In Heroes & Villains, acclaimed historian Frank Mc Lynn focuses on six of the most powerful & magnetic leaders of all time: Spartacus, Attila the Hun, Richard the Lionheart, Cortés, Tokugawa Ieyasu & Napoleon. How did these mortal men rise to positions of seemingly invincible power? What were the motives, the personal strengths & often weaknesses that drove them to achieve what no one else dared?

In six powerful portraits, Mc Lynn brilliantly evokes the critical moments when each of these warriors proved themselves in battle, changing their own lives, the destiny of their people &, in some cases, the history of the world. We discover what drove Spartacus to take on the might of Rome against seemingly impossible odds, & how the young Napoleon rose to power in dramatic fashion at the Siege of Toulon.

Heroes & Villains is more than a collection of individual biographies. By examining the complex psychologies of these extraordinary men, Mc Lynn builds up a convincing profile of the ultimate warrior. Accompanying a major BBC television series, this brilliant book takes us into the minds of the greatest warriors in history.



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In the history of warfare, an elite group of men have attained almost legendary status through their courage, ambition & unrivalled military genius. But many of these same men possessed deep personal character flaws. In Heroes & Villains, acclaimed historian Frank Mc Lynn focuses on six of the most powerful & magnetic leaders of all time: Spartacus, Attila the Hun, Richard the Lionheart, Cortés, Tokugawa Ieyasu & Napoleon. How did these mortal men rise to positions of seemingly invincible power? What were the motives, the personal strengths & often weaknesses that drove them to achieve what no one else dared?

In six powerful portraits, Mc Lynn brilliantly evokes the critical moments when each of these warriors proved themselves in battle, changing their own lives, the destiny of their people &, in some cases, the history of the world. We discover what drove Spartacus to take on the might of Rome against seemingly impossible odds, & how the young Napoleon rose to power in dramatic fashion at the Siege of Toulon.

Heroes & Villains is more than a collection of individual biographies. By examining the complex psychologies of these extraordinary men, Mc Lynn builds up a convincing profile of the ultimate warrior. Accompanying a major BBC television series, this brilliant book takes us into the minds of the greatest warriors in history.



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Alice bands, orange bladed boots & socks worn over the knee. Mansions in Cheshire, WAGs & written-off Ferraris. Referees with headsets, fourth officials, & an incomprehensible amount of stoppage time.

There is only so much a true football fan can take, & in Heroes, Hairbands & Hissy Fits, Mark Chapman (aka Chappers) gives full vent to his feelings, as only the host of a football phone-in can. Football phone-ins are on the hitlist too, by the way. It is football as we know it, told from the heart.

With his trademark down-to-earth wit, he takes aim at everyone from Sepp Blatter to MOTD, kit designers & replica shirt wearers (don't put your age on the back of the shirt, lads), trophy presentations & tournament draws. From his first footballing memory to watching his son grow up idolising Premier League millionaires, Chappers' landmark book is a timely tirade as well as a love song to the beautiful game.



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Alice bands, orange bladed boots & socks worn over the knee. Mansions in Cheshire, WAGs & written-off Ferraris. Referees with headsets, fourth officials, & an incomprehensible amount of stoppage time.

There is only so much a true football fan can take, & in Heroes, Hairbands & Hissy Fits, Mark Chapman (aka Chappers) gives full vent to his feelings, as only the host of a football phone-in can. Football phone-ins are on the hitlist too, by the way. It is football as we know it, told from the heart.

With his trademark down-to-earth wit, he takes aim at everyone from Sepp Blatter to MOTD, kit designers & replica shirt wearers (don't put your age on the back of the shirt, lads), trophy presentations & tournament draws. From his first footballing memory to watching his son grow up idolising Premier League millionaires, Chappers' landmark book is a timely tirade as well as a love song to the beautiful game.



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