Cecil John Rhodes made a fortune from diamonds and gold, became prime minister of the Cape, and had a country named after him, but his ambitions were far greater than that. When he was still in his twenties, after a meeting with General Gordon of Khartoum, Rhodes set up a Secret Society with the aim of establishing a new world order. The society, disciplined on Jesuit-style rules, became Rhodes’s lifelong obsession, and after his death it lived on and grew under the leadership of his executor, Lord Alfred Milner. The society played a key role in the governance of Britain during the Great War and the peace terms to end it, and it was linked to appeasement initiatives involving Hitler, the Duke of Windsor and Mrs Simpson before World War II. Echoes of the Secret Society survive in different guises to this day, including the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) and the Rhodes Scholarships. In The Secret Society, Robin Brown unpacks this astonishing and largely unknown history. He brings Rhodes, his companions and his successors to life by drawing from diaries and letters, and sheds new light on Rhodes’s homosexuality. Ranging from the diamond mines of Kimberley to the halls of power in Westminster, and peopled with characters such as General Gordon, Leander Starr Jameson, W.T. Stead, Olive Schreiner, the Princess Radziwill, Joséph Chamberlain and David Lloyd George, this book is a page-turner that will make you see the world, both past and present, in a different light.

"Do you wish to get better grades in school? Have you ever dreamed of being a top student? If your answer to these questions is 'yes!', then this is the book for you. In this book, the author shares his personal story about how he progressed from doing badly in primary school to topping his class in postgraduate studies, whilst dealing with obstacles like poverty and parental abuse. He also shares with readers the stories of other past scholars who won various scholarships. Unlike most books on study and examination techniques which are written by teachers, examiners, psychologists and other 'experts', this book is written from the perspective of the students themselves. From interviews conducted with these past scholars, we learn about their well-proven study and examination techniques as well as factors that either helped, hindered or motivated them in their studies. This, then, is one of the rare 'How to' books that addresses the issue of motivation and is generously garnished with lots of inspiration, for your success in studies, exams, and in life."--

Like so many young people, James Bach, the son of the famous author Richard Bach (Jonathan Livingston Seagull) struggled in school. While he excelled in subjects that interested him, he barely passed the courses that didn't. By the time he was sixteen he had dropped out. He taught himself computer programming and software design and started working as a manager at Apple Computers only four years later - and he never looked back. With The Secrets of a Buccaneer Scholar, James shows us how he developed his own education on his own terms, how that unorthodox education brought him success, and how the reader can do it too. In his uniquely pithy and anecdotal style James uses the metaphor of a buccaneer to describe anyone whose love of learning and pursuit of knowledge is not bound by institutions or authorities. James outlines the eleven elements of his self-education method and shows how every reader - simply investing time and passion into educating themselves about the things that really interest them - can develop a method for acquiring knowledge and expertise that fits their temperaments and showcases their unique abilities and skills. Particularly well-suited for an audience grappling with the challenges posed by the internet, but also appropriate for parents looking to help and school their children or employees hoping to jumpstart their careers, The Secrets of a Buccaneer Scholar is a groundbreaking and uplifting work that empowers and inspires its readers.

The Scholar's Secret Discover the captivating historical romance of "The King's Scholar," a tale of courage, love, and transformation set in the medieval kingdom of Aldoria. Follow the journey of Elara, a brilliant young woman who defies societal norms by disguising herself as a man to attend the prestigious Royal Academy. As Elias, she navigates the challenges of a male-dominated institution, catching the eye of the crown prince, Alexander. Their forbidden romance blossoms amidst political intrigue, secret identities, and the fight for gender equality. When Elara's true identity is revealed, she and Alexander must confront powerful adversaries and rally allies to bring about revolutionary changes. Experience a story of resilience and empowerment as Elara and Alexander strive to create a future where knowledge and opportunity are accessible to all, regardless of gender. "The King's Scholar" is a powerful narrative of love, defiance, and the relentless pursuit of a better world. historical romance, female empowerment, royal academy, forbidden love, gender equality, medieval fiction, character-driven narrative, political intrigue, secret identity, courageous heroine

"In Secrets, Spies and Scholars - for the first time - Ray S. Cline, a former top-level CIA official with operational experience, puts the triumphs as well as the disasters of American intelligence into a meaningful perspective - encompassing national political processes and decision-making. The book contains many illustrative accounts of what espionage, counterespionage and other intelligence work at the top levels of government are really like, including the operational..." --Abebooks.com.

"Cloak & gown" explores the underlying bonds between the world of the university and that of the intelligence community.

A Financial Times Best Book of the Year The untold story of how Russian espionage in imperial China shaped the emergence of the Russian Empire as a global power. From the seventeenth to the nineteenth century, the Russian Empire made concerted efforts to collect information about China. It bribed Chinese porcelain-makers to give up trade secrets, sent Buddhist monks to Mongolia on intelligence-gathering missions, and trained students at its Orthodox mission in Beijing to spy on their hosts. From diplomatic offices to guard posts on the Chinese frontier, Russians were producing knowledge everywhere, not only at elite institutions like the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg. But that information was secret, not destined for wide circulation. Gregory Afinogenov distinguishes between the kinds of knowledge Russia sought over the years and argues that they changed with the shifting aims of the state and its perceived place in the world. In the seventeenth century, Russian bureaucrats were focused on China and the forbidding Siberian frontier. They relied more on spies, including Jesuit scholars stationed in China. In the early nineteenth century, the geopolitical challenge shifted to Europe: rivalry with Britain drove the Russians to stake their prestige on public-facing intellectual work, and knowledge of the East was embedded in the academy. None of these institutional configurations was especially effective in delivering strategic or commercial advantages. But various knowledge regimes did have their consequences. Knowledge filtered through Russian espionage and publication found its way to Europe, informing the encounter between China and Western empires. Based on extensive archival research in Russia and beyond, Spies and Scholars breaks down long-accepted assumptions about the connection between knowledge regimes and imperial power and excavates an intellectual legacy largely neglected by historians.