John Kampfner Livres

From the acclaimed author of BLAIR'S WARS comes a devastating new insight into how the power and democratic values of the West are under threat.

A provocative and entertaining exploration of the country that Britons love to hate by one of our most respected journalists.

Emerging from a collection of city states 150 years ago, no other country has had as turbulent a history as Germany or enjoyed so much prosperity in such a short time frame. Today, as much of the world succumbs to authoritarianism and democracy is undermined from its heart, Germany stands as a bulwark for decency and stability. Mixing personal journey and anecdote with compelling empirical evidence, this is a critical and entertaining exploration of the country many in the West still love to hate. Raising important questions for our post-Brexit landscape, Kampfner asks why, despite its faults, Germany has become a model for others to emulate, while Britain fails to tackle contemporary challenges. Part memoir, part history, part travelogue, Why the Germans Do It Better is a rich and witty portrait of an eternally fascinating country.

From the Orwell Prize shortlisted author of Freedom for Sale, The Rich is the fascinating history of how economic elites from ancient Egypt to the present day have gained and spent their money. Starting with the Romans and Ancient Egypt and culminating with the oligarchies of modern Russia and China, it compares and contrasts the rich and powerful down the ages and around the world. What unites them? Have the same instincts of entrepreneurship, ambition, vanity, greed and philanthropy applied throughout? As contemporary politicians, economists and the public wrestle with the inequities of our time - the parallel world inhabited by the ultra-wealthy at a time of broader hardship - it is salutary to look to history for explanations. This book synthesises thousands of years of human behaviour and asks the question: is the development of the globalised super-rich over the past twenty years anything new?

No Prime Minister in modern times has led Britain into as many wars as Tony Blair. In seven years in office he has committed soldiers to action in Kosovo, in Operation Desert Fox against Iraq, in Sierra Leone and Afghanistan -- and, most controversially, in the final battle with Saddam Hussein in 2003. It has been a dramatic course of action for a man who, until he won the 1997 General Election, showed only a rudimentary understanding of the workings of foreign policy. Combining page-turning narrative and revelation with an analysis of the philosophy underlying his adventures abroad, BLAIR'S WARS shows how this government has sought to be at the forefront of a new and turbulent world order. Putting the reader into the 'smoke-filled rooms' of Whitehall and Washington where the real decision-making takes place, John Kampfner draws on his unparalleled contacts within and outside government to provide a compelling account of the tensions, rivalries, deal-making and back-stabbing that have accompanied inexorable acquisition of foreign-policy control.

The new book from Sunday Times bestselling author John Kampfner: the 800-year story of Berlin, the most important capital city in Europe[Bokinfo].

Die Deutschen sind Meister der Selbstkritik. Dabei macht das Land es besser, als viele denken, sagt John Kampfner. Der Autor ist Brite und zeigt, wie sehr sich das Deutschland-Bild im Ausland in den letzten Jahren verändert hat. Die deutsche Politik hält er für vorbildlich: Finanz- und Flüchtlingskrise – kaum ein anderes Land navigiere so erfolgreich und souverän durch schwierige Zeiten. Sogar die Corona-Bekämpfung hält er für größtenteils erfolgreich. Während anderswo autoritäre Politiker und Populisten regieren, sei Deutschland ein Bollwerk aus Anstand und Stabilität. Den Grund dafür sieht Kampfner vor allem in der soliden Politik Angela Merkels und in der kritischen Auseinandersetzung mit der eigenen Vergangenheit; darin liegt für ihn der Schlüssel zu einer sensiblen Demokratie. Eine erfrischend andere Geschichte der Bundesrepublik. «Ausgezeichnet und provokant, ein leidenschaftliches, aktuelles Buch.» Sunday Times

Robia to Nemci lepšie? Ak áno, prečo? Nemecko vzniklo len pred 150 rokmi z rozdrobených mestských štátov a štátikov. Žiadna iná európska krajina však nemala takú búrlivú históriu a zároveň nedosiahla takú prosperitu v tak krátkom čase. Dnes, keď sa väčšina sveta približuje k autoritárstvu a demokracia je podkopávaná zo všetkých strán, Nemecko predstavuje maják slušnosti a stability. Britský autor John Kampfner sa v tematických kapitolách o vyrovnávaní sa s minulosťou, znovuzjednotení, multikulturalizme, nemeckom ekonomickom modeli či postcovidovej dobe pýta, prečo sa Nemecko napriek svojim chybám stalo vzorom hodným nasledovania. Je sčasti memoárom (autor pôsobil v Nemecku ako novinár), historickým exkurzom do moderných dejín krajiny aj cestopisom, a je bohatým a zábavným portrétom fascinujúcej krajiny v srdci Európy.