Bob Whittington – författare

This book dares to say what the politically correct thought police are determined you should not know. Michael Cole, broadcaster and writer, Chairman of a PR and broadcasting company, journalist and former Director of Public Affairs for Harrods and House of Fraser GroupIf we fail to learn how to live with one another… it is inevitable that divisions and hostility will occur. From the Foreword by Lord Noon of St John’s WoodWhile focusing on Asians, Kailash Puri’s blunt message is that integration among all ethnic communities and the British is a myth. We must accept that reality and address the implications before mental barriers become real barricades. She says that without talking, tensions build up and become a breeding ground for the violence which has hit cities around the world, not just London. But her solution to the dilemma is unique and inspiring.Honour killings and forced marriages continue to hit the headlines, indicating the prevalence of this largely hidden problem. Kailash Puri draws on more than 50 years’ experience of advising clients in India, Africa, America as well as the UK, and gives a timely warning about the inevitable consequences of doing nothing.She warns of the dangers of drifting into parallel and hostile communities, the failure to understand one another’s cultures, the divisions in education, the polarisation of social activity, the insularity of religion, the indifference of the business community, and the fundamental failure of social cohesion.Kailash Puri, Agony Aunt, author, broadcaster, poet, counsellor and self-proclaimed sexologist at 84 years has advised innumerable people over the years and they still come to her door – British as well as Asian – and she continues to play the role of vichola, or go-between, helping young people find marriage partners.

Money Talks is a fast-paced history of the humble British coin, the events which at times literally shaped it and the stories reflected in its creation.It has been used to barter and to bribe, to hold a cloak in place and to pay a king’s ransom, been an object of pride and a symbol of courage. The coin has witnessed the great events in history – about kings and queens and the transfer of power – and it speaks to us of generations passed, of battles and heroic deeds, of countries and empires as well as of moments we would rather forget.Money Talks is about how such a small object of desire has been regarded as a symbol of power and authority for more than 2,500 years. It traces British history through the one thing that has come to dominate our lives – hard cash – and it demonstrates how monarchs down the centuries have used it to fund their wars, maintain their lifestyles and portray their image to prove their position or legitimatise dubious claims to the throne.From time to time the coin has slipped out of use altogether as bartering goods was preferred to poor quality coinage for day-to-day business. It has been hoarded for safer times and simply used as adornment. But even as the modern world turns increasingly to electronic transactions moving billions around the world at the touch of a button, the coin retains its place at the heart of everyday life.

From Alexander the Great to Saddam Hussein, from Cardinal Richelieu and Howard Hughes to Martin Luther King and Pope Benedict, emperors and tycoons, presidents and popes, they have all had a right hand man – or woman – at their side advising, sometimes influencing and occasionally manipulating. The operating style of the ‘fixer’ or éminence grise has changed throughout history from one of absolute discretion as adviser to overt spinning with even a desire to share in some of the ‘fame’, but their presence has always been a constant theme.In The Shadow of Power throws a brief spotlight on some of the people who practised these dark arts hovering on the edges of history, lurking in the background, occasionally rising to positions of absolute authority while managing to remain behind the scenes.This selection reveals certain common traits – a devotion to their master, a ruthless determination to protect and serve regardless of the price, an ability to survive. Many of the individuals will be unknown to some readers although the masters they served will all be household names.Not all are men, of course, the strong woman behind the successful man is commonplace. They have worked for good and ill, some moving from the bedchamber to positions of absolute power; many just like their male counterparts seem to have been driven by their lowly backgrounds with their intelligence simply proving too much for their well-born masters.They come in all guises: diplomats and courtesans, concubines and clerics, politicians and journalists, and from many different countries in Europe and India, China, France and USA, but the role of the éminence grise is often a dangerous one and getting too close to the powerful can prove fatal.