New Releases by Margaret MacMillan

Acclaimed historian Margaret MacMillan explores here the many ways in which history affects us all. She shows how a deeper engagement with history, both as individuals and in the sphere of public debate, can help us understand ourselves and the world better. But she also warns that history can be misused and lead to misunderstanding. History is used to justify religious movements and political campaigns alike. Dictators may suppress history because it undermines their ideas, agendas, or claims to absolute authority. Nationalists may tell false, one-sided, or misleading stories about the past. Political leaders might mobilize their people by telling lies. It is imperative that we have an understanding of the past and avoid these and other common traps in thinking to which many fall prey. This brilliantly reasoned work, alive with incident and figures both great and infamous, will compel us to examine history anew—and skillfully illuminates why it is important to treat the past with care.

Stephen Leacock''s satiric masterpiece Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town captures "the Empire forever" mentality that marked Anglo-Canadian life in the early decades of the twentieth century. Historian Margaret Macmillan—whose books Women of the Raj and Paris 1919 cast fresh light on the colonial legacy—has great affection for Leacock''s gentle wit and sharp-eyed insight. The renowned historian examines Leacock''s life as a poor but ambitious student who rose to become an economist, celebrated academic, and, most importantly, the beloved humorist who taught Canadians to laugh at themselves.

Margaret MacMillan, praised as “a superb writer who can bring history to life” (The Philadelphia Inquirer), brings her extraordinary gifts to one of the most important subjects today–the relationship between the United States and China–and one of the most significant moments in modern history. In February 1972, Richard Nixon, the first American president ever to visit China, and Mao Tse-tung, the enigmatic Communist dictator, met for an hour in Beijing. Their meeting changed the course of history and ultimately laid the groundwork for the complex relationship between China and the United States that we see today. That monumental meeting in 1972–during what Nixon called “the week that changed the world”–could have been brought about only by powerful leaders: Nixon himself, a great strategist and a flawed human being, and Mao, willful and ruthless. They were assisted by two brilliant and complex statesmen, Henry Kissinger and Chou En-lai. Surrounding them were fascinating people with unusual roles to play, including the enormously disciplined and unhappy Pat Nixon and a small-time Shanghai actress turned monstrous empress, Jiang Qing. And behind all of them lay the complex history of two countries, two great and equally confident civilizations: China, ancient and contemptuous yet fearful of barbarians beyond the Middle Kingdom, and the United States, forward-looking and confident, seeing itself as the beacon for the world. Nixon thought China could help him get out of Vietnam. Mao needed American technology and expertise to repair the damage of the Cultural Revolution. Both men wanted an ally against an aggressive Soviet Union. Did they get what they wanted? Did Mao betray his own revolutionary ideals? How did the people of China react to this apparent change in attitude toward the imperialist Americans? Did Nixon make a mistake in coming to China as a supplicant? And what has been the impact of the visit on the United States ever since? Weaving together fascinating anecdotes and insights, an understanding of Chinese and American history, and the momentous events of an extraordinary time, this brilliantly written book looks at one of the transformative moments of the twentieth century and casts new light on a key relationship for the world of the twenty-first century.

In the nineteenth century, at the height of colonialism, the British ruled India under a government known as the Raj. British men and women left their homes and traveled to this mysterious, beautiful country–where they attempted to replicate their own society. In this fascinating portrait, Margaret MacMillan examines the hidden lives of the women who supported their husbands’ conquests–and in turn supported the Raj, often behind the scenes and out of the history books. Enduring heartbreaking separations from their families, these women had no choice but to adapt to their strange new home, where they were treated with incredible deference by the natives but found little that was familiar. The women of the Raj learned to cope with the harsh Indian climate and ward off endemic diseases; they were forced to make their own entertainment–through games, balls, and theatrics–and quickly learned to abide by the deeply ingrained Anglo-Indian love of hierarchy. Weaving interviews, letters, and memoirs with a stunning selection of illustrations, MacMillan presents a vivid cultural and social history of the daughters, sisters, mothers, and wives of the men at the center of a daring imperialist experiment–and reveals India in all its richness and vitality. “A marvellous book . . . [Women of the Raj] successfully [re-creates] a vanished world that continues to hold a fascination long after the sun has set on the British empire.” –The Globe and Mail “MacMillan has that essential quality of the historian, a narrative gift.” –The Daily Telegraph “MacMillan is a superb writer who can bring history to life.” –The Philadelphia Inquirer “Well researched and thoroughly enjoyable.” –Evening Standard

In February 1972, Nixon amazed the world with a trip to China. He was the first US President to go there - in fact officially the first American since the Communist takeover. It was like a visit to the far side of the moon, but also a brilliant stroke of policy. With China on side Nixon could get out of Vietnam; US technology could help Mao recover from his disastrous Cultural Revolution; most of all, both needed a buttress against Soviet Russia in aggressive mood. Yet the visit set a tone that still lingers. Did the Chinese see Nixon, coming to them, as a supplicant, and has the US been at a disadvantage ever since? Will the two countries cooperate, or will China challenge American dominance? Not just a great historical event, the visit is a great story too, filled with extraordinary people: Nixon himself, red-baiter, crook and shrewd statesman; Mao, frail, erratic, ruthless; the twin machiavellis Chou En-lai and Henry Kissinger; brittle Pat Nixon with her designer coat of ''prostitute''s red''; and Mao''s wife Jiang Qing, a small-time Shanghai actress now scourge of Chinese civilization. The clash of cultures was almost deafening too: China ancient and contemptuous, with nothing to learn from barbarians beyond the Middle Kingdom, the USA so different but also in its own eyes exceptional - the beacon for the world.

MacMillan makes history come to life in one of the most important subjects today: the relationship between the United States and China and the historic meeting of Richard Nixon and Mao Tse-tung in 1972 that ultimately laid the groundwork for the relationship between the two nations.

Paris, 1919 : après la " guerre qui devait mettre fin à toutes les guerres ", des hommes et des femmes de tous les pays convergent vers la capitale pour la conférence de la Paix où va se redessiner la carte du monde. Outre les représentants des plus grandes puissances victorieuses - Wilson, Lloyd George et Clemenceau -, affluent journalistes, ambassadeurs et porte-parole de cent causes différentes - de T.E. Lawrence à la reine Marie de Roumanie, en passant par J.M. Keynes et Hô Chi Minh. Paris est alors le centre du monde, le lieu où se liquident les empires, où naissent de nouveaux pays, et où vont se nouer drames et malentendus. Car les " artisans de la paix " mirent la Russie à l''écart, s''aliénèrent la Chine, congédièrent les Arabes, se débattirent avec les problèmes du Kosovo, des Kurdes, d''un foyer national pour les Juifs. Leurs objectifs - faire payer les vaincus sans les détruire, satisfaire d''impossibles revendications nationales et créer un ordre mondial démocratique fondé sur la raison - étaient inconciliables. Vivant, solide, précis, brillant, couronné par de nombreux prix (Duff Cooper Prize, Samuel Johnson BBC Prize, Hessell Tiltman History Prize, New York Times Selection), cet ouvrage est devenu la référence sur la naissance du monde contemporain.

In this remarkable book — thoughtful, intimate and stunningly illustrated with archival and original photos — three of the best writers in their fields join with Adrienne Clarkson and John Ralston Saul to tell the story of Canada’s house in the 21st century. Opening wide the doors, Canada’s House reveals how Rideau Hall has reinvented itself into a place that mirrors the varied identity, gardens and foods of the country — immensely inspiring, alive with a vitality and distinctiveness that is Canada today. Over the last five years, Rideau Hall has been transformed into a place that vitally reflects Canada’s unique contemporary identity: its kitchens are now a hive of activity using indigenous foods and wine from across the country; and its garden has been redesigned into a true Northern Garden — a showcase for Canadian flowers, plants and trees, and organic vegetables. It has become a unique home that represents Canada and Canadians from coast-to-coast. Three of our leading writers have come together to tell the story of how Rideau Hall has come to reflect so much that is both distinctive and excellent from across Canada: Margaret MacMillan, Governor-General’s Literary Award winner, contemplates the history of “home” in Canada, and the story of the great house — the hub of the country’s public life since before Confederation — through the people who have given it life. Marjorie Harris, award-winning garden writer, writes vividly on the Canadian woodland garden, the flowers and plants, as well as the organic vegetable garden that provides the fresh herbs and an impressive proportion of the fruits and vegetables for both daily life and state dinners — essential reading for all who love gardens, as well as those who aspire to creating a Canadian garden. Anne Desjardins, award-winning Quebec food writer, shows how Rideau Hall has become synonymous with contemporary Canadian cuisine, its cross-country diversity and its riches — from the shellfish and cloudberries of the Maritimes to the cheeses of Quebec; from the oolichan of the West coast to the teas and caribou of the Far North; from the wines of the Okanagan to Niagara, recognized world-wide for their excellence. With an introduction to the country’s leading food and wine producers, as well as thirty original recipes tested for home cooks by Rideau Hall’s famous Chef Oliver Bartsch. Throughout the book, Adrienne Clarkson and John Ralston Saul share their experiences in helping to bring our national house — a place that reflects Canada as diverse, bountiful, self-confident and rich in achievement — into the 21st century.

Diez estrategias para tener éxito en la vida ¿Disfruta de su vida? ¿Confía en sus decisiones? Si no es así, usted no está solo. Muchos nunca aprendieron cómo crear las bases para llevar una vida feliz. Pero ahora ha llegado el momento de disfrutarla a plenitud. "El reto de la vida" presenta las diez estrategias necesarias para enfrentar el juego de la vida, y resultar como un gran vencedor. Es una táctica dinámica e innovadora. Por medio de ésta obra, el autor le ofrece sus veinte años de experiencia en la enseñaza sobre principios básicos de salud, los deportes, y las artes marciales.

In this course, University of Toronto history professor Margaret MacMillan takes us back to Paris in 1919, when, for six months, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, British Prime Minister David Lloyd George and French Prime Minister George Clemenceau met to discuss the peace settlements that would end World War I.

After the war to end all wars, men and women from all over the world converged on Paris for the Peace Conference. At its heart were the three great powers - Woodrow Wilson, Lloyd George and Clemenceau - but thousands of others came too, each with a different agenda. Kings, prime ministers and foreign ministers with their crowds of advisers rubbed shoulders with journalists and lobbyists for a hundred causes, from Armenian independence to women''s rights. Everyone had business that year - T.E. Lawrence, Queen Marie of Romania, Maynard Keynes, Ho Chi Minh. There had never been anything like it before, and there never has been since.;For six extraordinary months the city was effectively the centre of world government as the peacemakers wound up bankrupt empires and created new countries. This book brings to life the personalities, ideals and prejudices of the men who shaped the settlement. They pushed Russia to the sidelines, alienated China and dismissed the Arabs, struggled with the problems of Kosovo, or the Kurds, and of a homeland for the Jews. The peacemakers, it has been said, failed dismally, and above all failed to prevent another war. Margaret MacMillan argues that they have been made scapegoats for the mistakes of those who came later. They tried to be evenhanded, but their goals could never in fact be achieved by diplomacy.

Presents 30 different detachable postcards of Ireland bound into book form. Includes a single page introduction which gives a general overview of Ireland.