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This is the true story of Sikkim, a tiny Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas that survived the end of the British Empire only to be annexed by India in 1975.It tells the remarkable tale of Thondup Namgyal, the last King of Sikkim, and his American wife, Hope Cooke, thrust unwittingly into the spotlight as they sought support for Sikkim's independence after their 'fairytale' wedding in 1963. As tensions between India and China spilled over into war in the Himalayas, Sikkim became a pawn in the Cold War in Asia during the 1960s and 1970s. Rumours circulated that Hope was a CIA spy. Meanwhile, a shadowy Scottish adventuress, the Kazini of Chakung, married to Sikkim's leading political figure, coo...
This book is a study of the complex relationship between Britain and Europe from the Second World War to the present day. Drawing on first-hand experience of British and European politics, the author highlights not only the dramatically shifting power play between London and Brussels but also the EU’s own struggle to come to terms with its federal mission. He traces the important constitutional events that have fashioned the EU, of which the Brexit process is an outstanding example. The author proposes a number of constitutional reforms which, if carried through, would form the basis of a new entente between the EU and the UK. Both polities will profit from stronger democratic government o...
Penny Aston is the most successful female racing driver in history. She's spent a decade fighting her way to the top of a male dominated arena, sacrificing everything she had and more besides at the altar of victory. Superstardom beckons. But at two hundred miles an hour, a split second is a lifetime - and in the blink of an eye she's spiralling towards oblivion, everything she worked for taken from her. She must risk her life, and the lives of those she loves, to regain what was hers - and lay bare a devastating secret which has lain hidden in plain sight for three decades. From the twists and turns of the world's greatest circuits, to the danger behind the glitz of the French Riviera, to its shattering climax among the pitiless mountains of the Scottish Highlands, Second Split is the story of one woman's fight for survival against impossible odds.
Here is the story of the European Union by one of its leading thinkers. Andrew Duff describes how the EU was born at a time when federalism was seen as the only way to lasting peace, but how continuing tension between federalists and nationalists has left the Union unable to fulfil its promise. The author argues that the rise of impressive institutions such as the European Parliament, Bank and Court has not been matched by the emergence of a capable democratic executive: so the problem of weak governance at the European level must be rectified if the risk of illegitimacy is not to grow. In his career as a noted politician and commentator, Andrew Duff has worked towards the goal of federal union. He regrets Brexit but is not surprised by it, and argues that if the remaining EU makes a success of the federal experiment, the British may in due time be back.
Europe’s future is contested between those who want to integrate further, those who prefer things to stay as they are, and those who would retreat into nationalism. These divisions impair the government of the European Union and weaken its ability to shoulder more responsibility for its unstable neighbourhood. This open access book analyses the EU’s evolving constitution, arguing that the lack of effective federal government lies at the heart of its problems. It recommends reforms for each EU institution, including those involving treaty change. It makes the case for a unified executive, a more legitimate legislature, and the introduction of a federal treasury and supreme court. It proposes a fresh category of affiliate membership underpinned by a new European security council that would overcome the historic division between the EU and NATO. The book is essential reading for practitioners and students of European integration.
One of the most important questions facing the British Government at the end of the 1990s is that of European monetary union. The author of this text argues the case for an urgent decision, asserting that the longer the delay, the greater the risks and the harder it will be to join eventually. He asserts that the euro has been launched successfully; as an outsider, Britain's political influence is rapidly declining; the preparedness of British business is stalling in the absence of a clear government decision; public opinion is stagnating; and sterling is threatened with volatility. Moreover, with electoral reform postponed, the Prime Minister's modernizing project needs the added impetus of the euro referendum brought forward.
Andrew Duff MEP was a leading member of the European Convention which produced the first draft of the European Union's controversial Constitution. In this important new book, he analyses the Convention's successes and failures, and he describes the final negotiations and their outcome. Andrew Duff believes that a durable constitutional settlement is vital for the future of Europe. He explains how the Constitution would strengthen the EU at home and abroad. The rejection of the Constitution by French and Dutch voters makes more, not less urgent this agenda for building a more democratic and effective Union. In this timely book, Andrew Duff urges Europe's leaders not to abandon the worthwhile proposals put forward by the European Convention. He suggests how the Union could emerge from its current political crisis by undertaking a judicious renegotiation of the Constitution designed to overcome the difficulties surrounding the ratification process. This is the first book in English to get to grips with the European Constitution, and Andrew Duff is the first participant to argue for the rescue of the project.
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"Truth is the thing that hides in the corner, the thing that can destroy lives or free them." Andrew Edward Duffy is adrift with no goal or purpose in life until a chance encounter with a stranger propels him into a world that will put into question everything he believes is true. He soon becomes entangled in a mystery that sends him headfirst on a path of discovery instigated by the sighting of a dog that was supposedly long dead.A tale of intrigue unfolds that finds Andrew and those he meets along the way traveling coast to coast and across Europe to solve a mystery involving subterfuge and murder.Excerpt from " The Importance of Dogs", Chapter 1, A Woman A Dog and a ThiefAt the age of 29,...