Showing results for "The Professional" in Presidents & Heads of State

Candid and compelling, A Bigger Picture is the definitive narrative of Malcolm Turnbull’s prime ministership. He describes how he legalised same-sex marriage, established Snowy Hydro 2.0, stood up to Donald Trump and many achievements – remarkable in their pace and significance, and that they were delivered in the teeth of so much opposition. But it’s far more than just politics. Turnbull’s life has been filled with colourful characters and controversies, success and failure.

While 1858 in London may have been noteworthy for its broiling summer months and the related stench of the sewage-filled Thames River, the year is otherwise little remembered. And yet, historian Rosemary Ashton reveals in this compelling microhistory, 1858 was marked by significant, if unrecognized, turning points. For ordinary people, and also for the rich, famous, and powerful, the months from May to August turned out to be a summer of consequence.

Originally published in 1883 as part of the historian’s larger work Beacon Lights of History, Volume IV: Imperial Antiquity, this book covers the life, the times, and the philosophy of Marcus Aurelius (121-180). The 17th emperor of Rome preserved and protected the Empire, mainly by keeping the Parthians in the East and the Northern barbarians at bay. More sage than soldier, he ruled wisely and set a noble example in a wicked age.