Dennis Sewell – författare

The Political Gene is a fascinating examination of the way that many scientists and politicians have sought to use Charles Darwin’s ideas to solve social problems, or to bolster political ideologies. Sewell’s beautifully crafted narrative shows us what drove people to put a black man on display in a zoo, forcibly sterilize a pair of innocent teenage sisters, lock up a British girl for eighteen years for a petty theft, murder disabled people in Nazi Germany, and slam shut America’s ‘Golden Door’. In a world where the gene becomes ever more central, the fresh and stimulating arguments in The Political Gene make this an explosive, essential, and utterly intriguing book.‘An accessible, thought-provoking book that refuses to adopt pre-determined battle lines in an argument that looks set to continue raging.’ Metro, Non-Fiction of the Week‘The Political Gene by Dennis Sewell is the only one of the Darwin books that actually explains what really matters – the consequences of the adoption of his theory for the conduct of human affairs’ Evening Standard, Books of the Year‘[This] chilling study reveals how Darwinism became a justification for hateful ideologies’ Sunday Times‘Scholarly and shocking.’ GQ‘The best book to have come out of the Darwin centenary’ Word Magazine

George Downing was one of the English Civil War's most cunning spies. As Oliver Cromwell's head of military intelligence, he forged a career as a politician and diplomat, bribing, blackmailing and browbeating his way to success, before spectacularly betraying his friends by defecting to the Royalist camp.Always close to the action, Downing walked with the most illustrious men of his times: Oliver Cromwell and Charles II were his patrons; Samuel Pepys was his clerk; William of Orange godfather to his son. And when he came to build his famous street, Downing Street, which became the home of Britain's prime ministers, his surveyor was Sir Christopher Wren.Downing helped start two major wars and had a hand in founding New York. Yet he has remained an elusive figure in history, as if hiding himself in footnotes. Turncoat tells the full story of Downing's espionage and double-dealing for the first time, following this mystery man from the asceticism of Puritan New England, across battlefields and through courts, chancelleries and parliaments, to the heart of wealth and power in Restoration London.

George Downing was one of the English Civil War's most cunning spies. As Oliver Cromwell's head of military intelligence, he forged a career as a politician and diplomat, bribing, blackmailing and browbeating his way to success, before spectacularly betraying his friends by defecting to the Royalist camp.Always close to the action, Downing walked with the most illustrious men of his times: Oliver Cromwell and Charles II were his patrons; Samuel Pepys was his clerk; William of Orange godfather to his son. And when he came to build his famous street, Downing Street, which became the home of Britain's prime ministers, his surveyor was Sir Christopher Wren.Downing helped start two major wars and had a hand in founding New York. Yet he has remained an elusive figure in history, as if hiding himself in footnotes. Turncoat tells the full story of Downing's espionage and double-dealing for the first time, following this mystery man from the asceticism of Puritan New England, across battlefields and through courts, chancelleries and parliaments, to the heart of wealth and power in Restoration London.