Neutral Ground: A Political History Of Espionage Fiction

This is a unique and perceptive history of geopolitical intrigue and of its influence on the authors who fashioned one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the literate world the spy novel.  Espionage fiction is one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the literate world and, since its widespread acceptance in the early twentieth century, it has sought to pursue the secret politics of Western social order. Drawn from reality, exposing what is generally concealed, it provides a unique glimpse into the darker, more conspiratorial affairs of state through the use of fictional covert actions, double agents, treason, and international intrigues. It is a carefully crafted, clandestine venue wherein the situations are circumscribed, the moods are forever gray, and the heroes if indeed there are heroes generally emerge as ordinary individuals who believe that virtues such as truth and loyalty are simply matters of convenience. People who are, in fact, not that much different from those whom they oppose. The concept of neutral ground the term adapted from Sir Walter Scott s early nineteenth century Waverly novels originally spoke to the geographic region between two warring armies, a place controlled by neither but marked by fluid jurisdictions drawn by the ebb and flow of strategic influences or battle lines. But with the passage of time, and the refinement of espionage fiction, the definition of neutral ground witnessed a transition, emerging as both metaphor and cautionary note for the thematic conflicts and doubts that flourish in the absence of clear political authority. An intellectual nether region reminiscent perhaps of Cold War Berlin that affords conflicting parties unrestricted rights of passage and where political ideology and literary fiction can and do seamlessly intersect. Yet, in the grander historical sense, the evolution of espionage fiction also reflects the history of a culture for, as the genre evolved, so too did Western society. To explore these historical relationships Neutral Ground: A Political History of Espionage Fiction takes the reader behind the fiction and explores the real-world political, military, and diplomatic events that have consistently and significantly threaded their way through the fabric of the genre. Against this historical timeline, it examines how numerous authors including Rudyard Kipling, Somerset Maugham, Graham Greene, and John le Carré have engaged reality in order to write the espionage novels that have become literary classics and, in selected cases, have also served to alter the course of government policy.

Neutral Ground: A Political History of Espionage Fiction

Literature & Fiction

Brett F. Woods

History & Criticism

Algora.Publishing

Thomas Jefferson: Thoughts on War and Revolution

While Jefferson is responsible for a voluminous body of literature, this is the first time an editor has focused principally on his comments regarding war and revolution. Presented for the interest of a general readership as well as for students of military, diplomatic, or political history, the format of the selected letters, as Jefferson wrote them, is preserved whenever possible. The addressees are identified, particularly those who have been lost to history, and, where indicated, explanatory notes are provided to assist the reader in placing the correspondence in its particular historical, political, or conceptual context; readers are encouraged to arrive at their own conclusions as to the intention of a particular piece of correspondence.

History

Americas

Abraham Lincoln: Letters to His Generals, 1861-1865

Interpreting the thoughts and actions of Abraham Lincoln can be a challenging exercise, for he was clearly many things to many people. Precisely because of this complexity, he has become so much a part of America’s ongoing search for itself, so deeply entwined in the tapestry of American history, that in many instances succeeding generations have been largely unable to picture him clearly and objectively in his own life and times.The selected pieces are specifically directed to Lincoln s observations on command and military operations, topics that have not been singularly addressed in previous Lincoln books. My intention is twofold: first, to add to the body of literature exploring leadership and governance during the American Civil War; and, secondly, and perhaps more importantly, to provide an additional glimpse into the character and thought processes of Abraham Lincoln as president and commander-in-chief.The letters collectively provide a unique glimpse into the character and thought processes of Lincoln as a military commander. Lincoln was not a natural strategist. He worked hard to master the subject, just as he had done to become a lawyer. Still, despite being forced to learn the functions of a commander-in-chief on the job, he demonstrates an oftentimes striking understanding of the issues. And, whether the subject might be a general memorandum of military policy, a reflection on the sentencing of a deserter, or pressing the attack on Confederate forces, he writes with remarkable clarity, insight, and concise eloquence. This text is both a comprehensive reference resource and a unique supplement to the existing literature. The original written communications, which succeeding generations of historians have repeatedly cited as the basis for the interpretation of events or conclusions of fact, are reproduced in their entirety. While recent Lincoln books Generals in Blue and Gray (Jones); Lincoln's Generals (Boritt); Lincoln and his Generals (Williams); and Lincoln on War (Holzer), among others, offer either general or specific examinations of selected aspects of Lincoln's presidency, any correspondence is usually treated as brief excerpts that may be cited out of context, or incorrectly interpreted by the reader. Here, by contrast, the format of the selected letters, as Lincoln wrote them, is preserved whenever possible, and they are presented for the interest of a general readership as well as for students of military, cultural, or political history. The addressees are identified, particularly those who have been lost to history, and, where indicated, explanatory notes are provided to assist the reader in placing the correspondence in its particular historical, political, or conceptual context. Readers are encouraged to arrive at their own conclusions as to the intention of a specific piece of correspondence.

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

Thomas Jefferson: Diplomatic Correspondence, Paris, 1784-1789: Diplomatic Correspondence and Influence on French-American Relations, 1784-1789

Philosopher, diplomat, politician, inventor, writer, architect, even gardener, from a historical perspective Thomas Jefferson emerges as an extraordinary individual. This is the first time an editor has focused principally on his comments regarding his time while serving as minister to France from 1784 to 1789. He was clearly many things to many people, but precisely because of these multifaceted endeavors, he has become so deeply entwined in the tapestry of America's grand democratic experiment that the quest to picture him clearly and objectively in his own life and times remains arguably elusive.
The most comprehensive portrait of the American founding fathers can be seen in their personal letters and journal entries. Jefferson is certainly no exception, and those he wrote during his service as American minister to France - through many of the most critical episodes in both French and American history - are of singular importance. The format of the letters has been preserved whenever possible and, collectively, they provide a unique glimpse into the character and thought processes of Jefferson the diplomat. 
While Thomas Jefferson is responsible for a voluminous body of literature, this is the first time an editor has focused principally on his correspondence while serving as minister to France. The format of the selected letters, as Jefferson wrote them, is preserved whenever possible, and they are presented for the interest of a general readership as well as for students of military, diplomatic, or political history. 
The addressees are identified, particularly those who have been lost to history, and, where indicated, explanatory notes are provided to assist the reader in placing the correspondence in its particular historical, political, or conceptual context. Readers are encouraged to arrive at their own conclusions as to the intention of a specific piece of correspondence.
After serving as a member Virginia House of Burgesses, the Continental Congress, and as governor of Virginia, in 1784, Thomas Jefferson was again called into public service: to France, first as trade commissioner and then as Benjamin Franklin's successor as minister. To be sure, he emerged as an excellent ambassador, for he had the same capacity to combine symbolic and practical representation that made Franklin's stay in France such an important episode in Franco-American relations. In a court almost paralyzed by ceremony and bored with excesses in dress and ornamentation, Jefferson's republican asceticism, his directness and apparent candor, lent him a distinction and significance which no amount of modishness could have gained for him. 
By design, Dr. Woods has elected to approach Jefferson's time in France from more of a documentary perspective, an interesting journey, to say the least. For whether he is writing to peers such as James Madison, Patrick Henry, and George Washington; to French associates such as the Marquis de Lafayette and Hector St. John de Crevecoeur; or even to his more social acquaintances such as Maria Cosway and Abigail Adams, Jefferson writes with, at times, surprising candor. And whether the subject might be an impassioned argument against Federalism, addressing the detail of international trade agreements, or even commenting on botany and agricultural issues, his words reflect remarkable clarity, insight, and eloquence. 
As the text presents, in their entirety, the original written correspondence which succeeding generations of historians have repeatedly cited as the basis for their interpretation of events or conclusions of fact, Thomas Jefferson: Diplomatic Correspondence, Paris, 1784-1789 moves a step further, emerging as both a comprehensive reference resource and a unique supplement to the existing literature.

Thomas Jefferson: Diplomatic Correspondence, Paris, 1784-1789

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