“a tour de force of scholarship and sophistication” Kirkus ReviewsIn the aftermath of World War One four of the most powerful royal families had been deposed and the sprawling empires that they had once ruled over lay in tatters. Yet although the Hohenzollerns, Romanovs, Habsburgs and Ottomans may have been oblivious to their impending fate, Edmond Taylor demonstrates how there was an ever-increasing swell of discontentment that surrounded them prior to the First World War. In this fascinating account of the period from 1905 through to 1922 Taylor examines how these opulent dynasts existed upon a tightrope of power, where they were increasingly concerned with petty diplomatic squabbles between themselves and ignored the rebellious spirits of their subjects.Taylor’s work provides wonderful portraits of all the major figures in world politics at the beginning of the twentieth century from those who held power such as the mock-heroic figure of Wilhelm II and the out-of-depth Czar Nicholas II to those who replaced them like Mustafa Kemal and Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, better known as Lenin.The Fall of the Dynasties: The Collapse of the Old Order, 1905-1922 is remarkable account of the early twentieth century that uncovers the origins of the First World War as well as explaining how European power was dramatically different in 1922 to what it had been in 1905.“Popular history of the finest sort . . . an excellent book worthy to rank with Barbara Tuchman’s The Guns of August and Alan Moorehead’s Gallipoli.” The New York Times“The events may be sprawling but the assessment is succinct … always informative, highly intriguing, one of those historical recreations putting many a novelist in the shade” Kirkus ReviewsEdmond Taylor was a journalist who also published a number of works on European history. His other famous works include The Strategy of Terror and Awakening From History. The Fall of the Dynasties was first published in 1963. Taylor passed away at the age of 90 in 1998.

On the 23rd June 1812 Napoleon stated to General Armand de Caulaincourt, "In less than two months’ time Russia will be suing for peace."But for once Napoleon's confidence was misplaced.Instead of a mere two months the Russian campaign would go on to last over five months.Yet, his army would not be overcome in pitched battle, instead it would be decimated by a vicious Russian winter.Prior to the beginning of the war Armand de Caulaincourt served as French ambassador to St. Petersburg and records within his memoirs how he attempted to dissuade Napoleon from his invasion of this vast country.His warnings were, however, not heeded and he went on to serve with Napoleon throughout the conflict as Grand Écuyer, or Master of the Horse, riding at his leader's side through many of the major battles such as Borodino.Caulaincourt continued with Napoleon through his capture of Moscow and warned his commander against wintering in Russia, but again was not listened to, and so records the disintegration of the once magnificent French army. With Napoleon in Russia is a remarkably intimate portrayal of the brilliant general as he suffered one of his greatest defeats. General Armand de Caulaincourt left Russia with Napoleon in December 1812. After this campaign he continued with his critical support of Napoleon right through until the Battle of Waterloo. After which his name was placed upon a list of those proscribed for arrest and execution, but this stopped by the personal intervention of Tsar Alexander I. During his life he kept numerous records and memoirs, which were eventually compiled and translated by Jean Hanoteau in 1935. Caulaincourt passed away in 1827 and the translator of the work Hanoteau died in 1939.B. H. Liddell Hart cited the work extensively when studying why Hitler's invasion of Russia failed in the twentieth century. Yet it was also a favored reference for many of those German commanders, for example General Günther von Kluge, who General Günther Blumentritt recounted: "I can still see von Kluge trudging through the mud from his sleeping quarters to his office, and standing there before the map with Caulaincourt's book in his hand. That went on day after day."

Prisoner of the OGPU, first published in 1935, is a firsthand, absorbing account of the author’s 4 years in the Soviet gulag (1928-32) at the hands of the Soviet secret police (known as the OGPU at the time, later renamed the NKVD, MGB, and KGB). At the time of his arrest, George Kitchin, a Finnish citizen, was working in Russia as a representative for an American firm. He was charged with violating an obscure regulation, held in prison, and then sent to a labor camp located in northern Russia where he describes the brutalities he endured and witnessed. The book also offers excellent insights into the running of the camps as Kitchin was able to work in the camp’s administration offices (in addition to sometimes being sent to work on the timber-cutting and road-building labor crews). Included are 5 pages of illustrations.

Ronald Reagan: The BiographyFirst and foremost, Ronald Reagan was an American. And while that means something a little bit different to everyone, Reagan lived his version to the fullest. He believed in a strong, prosperous, peaceful and safe America. Most of all, Reagan believed all people have the right to freedom. When he spoke of America’s future, his eyes sparkled into the distance, as if he could truly see it.In all his most cherished beliefs, Regan was a starry-eyed dreamer; but he was also a hard-working doer. He sometimes failed, despite his efforts. There were times when reality just didn’t match what his vision had been. Here was a man who dreamed of laser beams in outer space destroying nuclear missiles before they could land on his beloved homeland. He also was a man who envisioned an end to the Cold War and the tearing down of the Berlin Wall. One vision remained in the dream world, while the other became reality. In both cases, the world sat up and took notice.Reagan liked the spotlight, though. He started his adult life in the entertainment business, and his gentle charm continued to endear him to others throughout his life. Even Russia’s Gorbachev warmed to his presence.However, Reagan’s life was not without controversy. He was on the wrong side of history during the 1950s, as he testified as a friendly witness for the House Un-American Activities Committee and later during the 1960s as he squelched student protests.As president, Reagan wanted a balanced budget but never submitted one. He let his public down by apparently lying about the Iran-Contra Affair. In his later years, he was sometimes condemned by the public as a puppet of his wife Nancy or as incompetent in his job.Yet, despite the problems Reagan faced, America came back around to his side in the end. He left office with a higher approval rating than anyone since FDR. When he discovered he had Alzheimer’s he wrote an open letter to the world, gently preparing those who cared about him for his decline and death.Ronald Reagan was both intelligent and thoughtful, both kind-hearted and determined, both friendly and honest. The world will never be the same, because after all is said and done, Ronald Reagan’s visionary take on America was something new and precious.This book is but a brief summary of a long and full life.Ronald Reagan: The Biography