HOME | ABOUT | CONTACT | SUBMISSIONS | CATALOGUE | NEWSLETTER | LINKS
Arab World
Archaeology and Geology
Biography
Cookery
Fiction and Poetry
History
Independent Minds
Language
Natural History
Photography
Reference
Travel
 
 
   
Biography
 
 


250 pages, Paperback
150x225mm, Portrait

Available October 2009.



ISBN-10: 1906768064
ISBN-13: 9781906768065
 
After You, Prime Minister
 
This thoughtful, and often amusing, memoir traces the life of James Douglas-Hamilton, which has seen him serve in three different chambers. Following 23 Years as a Conservative MP at Westminster, he became a member of the new Scottish Parliament and now sits in the House of Lords. Through his eyes we gain a fascinating insight into historic events - from his early memories as a pageboy at the Queen's coronation to his time as a Minister for Margaret Thatcher's Government. Previously unpublished correspondences between the author and the Iron Lady shed new light on the controversial decision to introduce the community charge, or poll tax, in Scotland. This memoir also includes new material from recently declassified MI5 papers documenting the mysterious flight to Britain made by Rudolf Hess, the Nazi Deputy Leader, during the Second World War to see the author's father. Douglas-Hamilton's research into this extraordinary episode, and the evidence he has uncovered definitively lay the conspiracy theories to rest. James Douglas-Hamilton has peopled the pages of this book with the colourful characters he encountered during his long years of public service, including Harold Macmillan, Helen Suzman, Jomo Kenyatta and, of course, the indomitable Margaret Thatcher.
James Douglas-Hamilton - James Douglas-Hamilton was Conservative MP for the constituency of Edinburgh West where, for a time, he had the smallest majority in Scotland. He served as a Minister during the premierships of Margaret Thatcher and John Major and became a member of the Scottish Parliament in 1999. He was educated at Eton and studied history at Balliol College Oxford where he became a Boxing Blue and President of the Oxford Union. Douglas-Hamilton is the author of several books, the first of which won the Yorkshire Post Award for the best book of the year by a new author. They include Motive for a Mission: The Story Behind Rudolf Hess's Flight to Britain, The Air Battle for Malta and Roof of the World: Man's First Flight Over Everest. He is now a member of the House of Lords where, as Lord Selkirk of Douglas, he takes a special interest in defence matters and in UK legislation as it affects Scotland. He lives in East Lothian Scotland with his wife Susan and four sons.

Sir Malcolm Rifkind - Sir Malcolm was born in Edinburgh in 1946 and educated at George Watson's College and Edinburgh University.

In 1970 he fought his first Parliamentary campaign and from 1970-74 he was a local councillor in Edinburgh. In 1974 he was elected as MP for Pentlands and represented that constituency until 1997.

He became a member of the Cabinet in 1986 as Secretary of State for Scotland. In 1990 he became Secretary of State for Transport and in 1992 Secretary of State for Defence. From 1995-97 he was Foreign Secretary. He was one of only four ministers to serve throughout the whole Prime Ministerships of both Margaret Thatcher and John Major. In 1997 he was knighted in recognition of his public service.

Sir Malcolm was re-elected as a Member of Parliament in May 2005 for Kensington and Chelsea. He served as the Shadow Secretary of State for Work & Pensions and Welfare Reform until December 2005 when he chose to return to the backbenches. He has been selected to fight the new Kensington constituency at the next General Election.