Philip Short Livres

One of the great figures of the twentieth century, Chairman Mao looms irrepressibly over the economic rise of China. Mao Zedong was the leader of a revolution, a communist who lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty, an aggressive and distrustful leader, and a man responsible for more civilian deaths than perhaps any other historical figure. Now, four decades after Mao's death, acclaimed biographer Philip Short presents a fully updated and revised edition of his ground-breaking and masterly biography. Vivid, uncompromising and unflinching, Short presents in one-volume the man behind the propaganda - his family, his beliefs and his horrors. In doing so he shows us both the human being Mao was, and the monster he became.

This monumental biography delves into the life of one of the most influential leaders of the past two decades. Vladimir Putin, viewed as a pariah by the West, holds the power to devastate the United States and Europe with nuclear weapons, a threat he has openly made. His regime has invaded neighboring countries, notably Ukraine, interfered in Western elections, and orchestrated assassinations both domestically and abroad. Despite this, many Russians continue to support him, enjoying improved living standards even amid Western sanctions. Under Putin's rule, Russia has re-emerged as a formidable global player. The biography offers an in-depth exploration of Putin's complex personality, challenging many preconceptions about his leadership and the nature of his regime. Since ascending to the presidency in 2000, his primary goal has been to restore Russia's status as a great power, free from Western constraints. The narrative examines the experiences that shaped him and his motivations for opposing the American-led world order established after the Cold War. While it does not excuse his actions, the book reveals that much of what is commonly believed about Putin is based on half-truths, providing a clearer understanding of Russia's ruler and prompting a reevaluation of assumptions about global politics since the Cold War's conclusion.

Philip Short observed Pol Pot at close quarters during the one and only official visit Pol ever made abroad, to China in 1975. He was struck by Pol Pot's charm and charisma, yet, soon after, the leader would emerge as the architect of one of the most radical and ruthless experiments in social engineering ever undertaken. His egalitarian utopia released a reign of terror that would result in one in every five Cambodians - more than a million people - perishing in the killing fields of from hunger.Why did it happen? How did an idealistic dream of justice and prosperity mutate into one of humanity's worst nightmares? To answer these questions, Short traveled through Cambodia, interviewing former Khmer Rouge leaders and sifting through previously closed archives around the world. Key figures, including Khlen Samphan and Ieng Sary, Pol Pot's brother-in-law and foreign minister, speak here for the first time.Philip Short's masterly narrative reveals how Pol Pot engineered his country's desolation, fashining the definitive portrait of the man who headed one of the most enigmatic and terrifying regimes of modern times.(back cover)

Vladimir Putin je pro Západ vyvrhelem. Jako jediný mezi světovými vůdci má moc proměnit Spojené státy a Evropu v jaderný popel a a také hrozí, že tak učiní. Napadá své sousedy, vměšuje se do západních voleb a nařizuje vraždy v Rusku i mimo něj. Režim, v jehož čele stojí, je autokratický a zkorumpovaný, přesto ho většina Rusů nadále podporuje. Obsáhlá biografie Philipa Shorta zkoumá osobnost záhadného a bezohledného ruského vůdce do nebývalé hloubky a boří mnohé z našich předsudků o Putinově Rusku...