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Happy New Year from Biteback Publishing! We’ve an array of very exciting new titles for you this January – from polarising politicians and rising revolutionaries to surprising spies and heroes of human rights…

Hillary Rising: The Politics, Persona and Policies of a New American Dynasty

By James D. Boys

An unbiased and revelatory insight into an illustrious career and fascinating life, Hillary Rising examines the highly intriguing former First Lady who looks set to be a frontrunner in the upcoming presidential election.

If Hillary secures the Oval Office, she will go down in history as the first female President of the United States, but what kind of leader would she make? Drawing on extensive interviews with close associates, together with recently declassified material from the Clinton archive, James D. Boys provides an extensive portrait of one of the most intriguing characters in recent political history.

 

The Witchfinder General: A Political Odyssey

By Joyce Gould

Joyce Gould’s memoirs weave an astounding tapestry of the Labour Party, the world of British politics, and her personal experiences at the centre of the evolution of both. A stalwart in the battles against racial and sexual discrimination, Gould humbly describes her own instrumental role in facilitating the key changes that have shaped the country in which we live today.

 

 

 

Equal Ever After: The Fight for Same-sex Marriage – and How I Made it Happen

By Lynne Featherstone

29 March 2016 marks the two-year anniversary of same-sex marriage in the United Kingdom. Equalities Minister in the coalition government, Lynne Featherstone tells the story of her pivotal role in turning the dream of same-sex marriage into a reality. The road to this historic achievement was never smooth, and Featherstone’s resolute and tireless efforts inside Parliament were met with opposition and support from some of the most surprising places.

 

 

Guy Burgess: The Spy Who Knew Everyone

By Stewart Purvis & Jeff Hulbert

Stewart Purvis and Jeff Hulbert’s definitive new biography of one of the most successful spies and notorious traitors is the first book to include recently declassified material from the National Archives. This is the extraordinary true story of the spy who knew everyone, and how he became the man who knew no one.

 

 

 

 

Comrade Corbyn: A Very Unlikely Coup: How Jeremy Corbyn Stormed to the Labour Leadership

By Rosa Prince

Just how did Jeremy Corbyn, a middle-aged, middle-class, obscure party rebel, achieve the Labour Party leadership in 2015 with such a landslide victory? Honest, fair-minded and often surprising, Comrade Corbyn is a comprehensive biography that sheds new light on the current political climate and the life of Labour’s divisive new leader.

 

 

 

Hammer of the Left : The Battle for the Soul of the Labour Party

By John Golding

The ascension of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader will, for many, trigger only unhappy memories of the dark days of the 1970s and ’80s, when the party was plagued by a civil war that threatened to end all hopes of re-election. In this visceral, no-holds-barred account, Golding describes how he took on and helped defeat the Militant Tendency and the rest of the hard left, providing not only a vivid portrait of political intrigue and warfare, but a timely reminder for the party of today of the dangers of disunity and of drifting too far from electoral reality.

 

 

Europe: In or Out? Everything You Need to Know

By David Charter

With the issue of Europe still as prominent as ever, and a national referendum growing increasingly large on the horizon, this book – now fully updated and revised – is the essential and accessible guide that will help in understanding exactly what a ‘Brexit’ or continued EU membership would mean for you.

Iain Dale, MD of Biteback Publishing, has acquired world rights to Power to the People by Caroline Lucas, Lisa Nandy and Chris Bowers. 

The shifting sands on the left of British politics may shift some more with the publication of Power to the People, a book that has the potential to reshape the challenge to the Conservatives at the 2020 general election.

This extraordinary collection of essays compiled and co-edited by Green MP Caroline Lucas, Labour MP Lisa Nandy and former Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Bowers argues that, for all their legitimate differences, the progressives in British politics need to find ways of cooperating if they are to present a viable alternative to the Tories.

The book will feature a spread of political opinions and ideas from both politics and think tanks. Among the politicians writing are Peter Hain, Mhairi Black, Steve Reed and Norman Lamb. Among the other contributors will be Neal Lawson of Compass, David Boyle of the New Economics Foundation and Katie Ghose of the Electoral Reform Society, as well as a number of social and political journalists.

Caroline Lucas said: ‘Waking up on 8 May to discover a majority Tory government had been elected was a bitter disappointment for everyone who hopes for a fairer, greener and more caring society. Since this was achieved on the basis of the votes of just 24% of the electorate, it also highlights the importance of progressives finding new ways to work together. In many cases, we can be more effective through cooperation than by fighting each other – hence this book. In it, we explore both the values that unite us and the possible ways of working together where doing so makes sense.’

Iain Dale said: ‘I am delighted to be publishing this timely collection of forward-thinking essays by some of the most important names in contemporary progressive politics.’

Power to the People will be published in summer 2016, and will be supported by a major press campaign. 
For more information please contact
victoria.gilder@bitebackpublishing.com or call 020 7091 1260

Editorial Assistant (Biteback Publishing)

Biteback Publishing have an excellent opportunity for an enthusiastic, efficient editorial assistant to join a small, busy team publishing political and current affairs titles.

The position will involve assisting at all stages of the editorial and production process. Key tasks will include editorial clean-up of manuscripts, line-editing, fact-checking, proofreading, taking in proof corrections using Adobe InDesign, writing blurbs, picture research.

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following skills: first-rate proofreading and knowledge of the BSI proofreading marks, advanced knowledge of Microsoft Word, excellent attention to detail, the ability to work under pressure and to deadlines, and a good knowledge of current affairs. He or she must have experience within and knowledge of book publishing. Familiarity with Adobe InDesign software will be an advantage.

How to apply: CV and covering letter to Olivia Beattie olivia.beattie@bitebackpublishing.com

Location: London

Closing date: 4 January 2016

Iain Dale, MD of Biteback Publishing, has acquired world rights to Credible and True, the memoir of former Conservative MP Harvey Proctor.

Proctor, who became embroiled in allegations of historic child sexual abuse in 2015, has said or written very little since 1987. All that will change with this book.

Credible and True reveals Proctor’s life both in and out of Parliament, and details his continuous involvement with the police and the media. In it, he writes about sex, politics, the aristocracy, murder and suicide attempts, blackmail – and how he has survived them all. He talks frankly about his embroilment in Operation Midland, Scotland Yard’s investigation into allegations of a historic Westminster paedophile ring, and his own claims that he is the victim of a ‘homosexual witch hunt’.

K. Harvey Proctor has been actively involved in politics since the age of 14, when he joined the Young Conservatives. He always wanted to be a Member of Parliament, but knowing that his homosexuality presented a possible stumbling block in British politics in the 1970s and 80s, he took the decision to keep his private life exactly that – private. During most of his active political life, Proctor believed that it was his trenchant views on immigration that would be on trial rather than his sexuality, never imagining that his private life would spectacularly unravel in the glare of blue and white flashing lights.

Now nearly 70 years old, Proctor can look back on a life and a parliamentary career that saw him rub shoulders with the likes of Thatcher, Powell, Biffen, Foot, Castle, Jenkins, Benn and Healey. It is an epitaph of which anyone can be proud, but before that moment arrives, the fight to clear his name of wicked and untrue allegations must go on.

Harvey Proctor said: ‘I have written these words to help me untangle, in my own mind, the Kafka-esque situation in which I find myself. I have been accused of the most heinous crimes imaginable – serial child murder and the sexual abuse of children. I am innocent, but find I have to take on the Metropolitan Police Service to prove I am not guilty. Credible and True traces my life, at times dramatic and unbelievable, never more so than now. I hope to demonstrate in my book why the police and certain politicians have got it so wrong and why Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe should and will go.’

Iain Dale said: ‘I am delighted to be publishing Harvey’s life story. Although I didn’t know him when I worked in Parliament in the 1980s I knew him to be a politician of profound convictions and he was never afraid to speak his mind. This quality is evident in his book, where he charts the many controversial events that have characterised his life in politics and beyond. His experience at the hands of the police over child sex allegations demonstrate a justice system in turmoil, and his trenchant defence of his own innocence provides many important lessons for the police and our ideas of natural justice.’

Credible and True will be published in April 2016, and supported by a major press campaign.

For more information please contact victoria.gilder@bitebackpublishing.com or call 020 7091 1260

We're delighted that the Independent have selected four Biteback titles for their best political books of 2015. We've got great offers on all of them, with free delivery if you spend over £20  – so go on, grab a deal on some of this year's best political writing.