Being There - Backstories from the Political Front

Tony Leon

Summary

In Being There, Tony Leon goes behind the scenes, reflecting on how history is made, both here and around the world, through his unique mixture of anecdote and informed opinion.
His vantage point ranges from a ringside seat in the recent formation of the government of national unity (GNU) – recounted in detail here for the first time – to close encounters with the likes of Harry Oppenheimer, Ariel Sharon, Yasser Arafat and Boris Johnson, and reappraisals of FW de Klerk, Nelson Mandela and Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
Leon writes of the dangers of modern politics, from the purgatory of social media to the perils of political fundraising in tough times. The challenge of leadership, in a world often led by populist grifters or uninspiring time-servers, runs like a golden thread through the book.
Written with his customary blend of humour and flair, and with an eye to the future and what the present and the past can tell us about it, Being There is both important and highly readable.

Available since: 05/09/2025.

Print length: 272 pages.

Other books that might interest you

The World According to Proust

Joshua Landy

Marcel Proust (1871-1922) was arguably France's best-known literary writer. He was the author of stories, essays, translations, and a 3,000-page novel, In Search of Lost Time (1913-27). 
 
 
 
This book is a brief guide to Proust's magnum opus in which Joshua Landy invites the listener to view the novel as a single quest—a quest for purpose, enchantment, identity, connection, and belonging—through the novel's fascinating treatments of memory, society, art, same-sex desire, knowledge, self-understanding, self-fashioning, and the unconscious mind. 
 
 
 
Landy also shows why the questions Proust raises are important and exciting for all of us: how we can feel at home in the world; how we can find genuine connection with other human beings; how we can find enchantment in a world without God; whether an artist's life can shed light on their work; what we can know about the world, other people, and ourselves; when not knowing is better than knowing; how sexual orientation affects questions of connection and identity; who we are, deep down; what memory tells us about our inner world; why it might be good to think of our life as a story. Finally, Landy suggests why it's worthwhile to read the novel itself—how the long, difficult, but joyous experience of making it through 3,000 pages of prose can be transformative for our minds and souls.

Show book

Frederick Douglass

Rey Cayden

Frederick Douglass: The Life of Courage and Conviction of a True American HeroFrederick Douglass was a towering figure in American history, whose life and legacy continue to inspire people around the world. Born into slavery in Maryland in the early 1800s, Douglass defied the odds to become one of the most important voices in the fight against slavery and for civil rights. Douglass's life was marked by a remarkable journey from bondage to freedom, and from ignorance to knowledge. Throughout his life, Douglass never stopped fighting for justice, and his influence extended far beyond his own time.This audiobook brings to life the remarkable journey of a man who overcame unimaginable obstacles to become a respected statesman and advocate for human rights.This audiobook will cover the following topics:- Childhood in Slavery- Learning to Read and Write- Escape to Freedom- Abolitionist Activism- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass- Speaking Out- Women's Rights- The Civil War- Reconstruction- Family LifeIf you want to learn more, scroll up and click “add to cart” now!

Show book

Restoring Eden - Unearthing the...

Elizabeth D. Hilborn

All spring, Dr. Elizabeth Hilborn watched as her family fruit farm of many years became increasingly diminished, suffering from a lack of bees. 
 
 
 
The plentiful wildlife, so abundant just weeks before, was gone. Everything was still, silent. 
 
 
 
As an environmental scientist trained to investigate disease outbreaks, she rose to the challenge. Despite facing headwinds from skeptical neighbors, environmental experts, and agricultural consultants, she'd assembled information. 
 
 
 
The chemicals found in her water samples showed beyond any doubt that not only her farm, but her greater farming community, was at risk from toxic chemicals that traveled with rain water over the land and deep within the soil. 
 
 
 
Even as a scientist, she'd been unaware of the risks to life from some common agricultural chemicals. Her goal was to protect her farm and the animals who lived there. 
 
 
 
But first she had to convince her rural neighbors of the risk to their way of life, too. 
 
 
 
A lyrical celebration of nature by a passionate citizen scientist who felt called to advocate for the land, earth, and creatures who don't have a voice, Restoring Eden ultimately offers hope that citizens can create change, that reform is possible.

Show book

Bloody Mary - Mary Tudor the...

Kelly Mass

Mary I, typically called Mary Tudor and called "Bloody Mary" by her Protestant challengers, ruled as Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 till November 17th, 1558. She is well recalled for her solid attempts to reverse the English Reformation, which started throughout her dad's reign, Henry VIII's reign.Her effort to return property taken at the time of the prior 2 reigns to the Church was generally blocked by Parliament, but at the time of her five-year rule, Mary had more than 280 spiritual dissenters burnt at the stake in the Marian persecutions. You might give excuses for her behavior, you might justify it by saying she may not have been much worse than other dictators and royalty around that time, but the fact of the matter is still that she murdered hundreds of people for religious and political reasons.Bloody Mary was cruel, cold, and from what we know, there was a cause for this. Let’s take a look at her life, her problems, and the way she handled them.

Show book

Fishing With Tardelli - A Memoir...

Neil Besner

A literary meditation on memory, time, love, and loss
		 
Fishing With Tardelli contemplates the relations among four parents — mother, father, stepfather, and a Brazilian fishing companion — and the author. Over marriages and remarriages, fathers and mothers become stepfathers and stepmothers, and brothers gain and lose stepbrothers and half-brothers, sisters and half-sisters across two continents. The various homes become part of Besner’s internal geography; memory, dream, story, fable become permeable layers folded over bald facts baldly stated.
		 
Beginning with an older man’s recollections of himself as a young teenager fishing with Tardelli in the bay in Rio de Janeiro, the memoir reflects on time lost and time regained. The narration ranges across the mid-’40s in Montreal, where two couples marry, divorce, and remarry in a new configuration; proceeds to Rio de Janeiro in the mid-’50s, when one of these newly formed families emigrates; and returns to Montreal in the late ’60s and early ’70s. After a 50-year interlude, Besner returns from Western Canada to the pandemic moment in Toronto.

Show book

How to Live - Unlearning...

Kunal Gupta

Kunal Gupta climbed the ladder of success and found it leaning against the wrong wall.
He had it all. Despite being CEO of a thriving technology business, living on the 54th floor of a luxury condo building, traveling business class everywhere, having a life filled with luxury, being in a committed and loving relationship, and having optimal physical health, life felt empty.
"How to Live" follows Kunal’s path to experiment with life over a ten year journey where he quietly gave up material possessions for two years, slept on strangers' couches for over one hundred nights, jumped off cliffs to overcome fear, meditated daily for 10+ years and spontaneously moved to Portugal on three days notice.
Kunal takes readers on his transformative journey of self-discovery, moving from external validation to inner fulfillment. Guided by insatiable curiosity, Kunal embarked on a series of life experiments, challenging societal norms and inherited personal beliefs, with each experiment reshaping his perspective on life, success, and happiness.
“How to Live” is an invitation to redefine life by challenging the status quo and seeking true meaning and purpose. Drawing from philosophy and psychology, Kunal offers insights from his path to inspire others looking to challenge the belief patterns in their lives and live authentically.
Published by Spark, a new breed of publisher for the digital age, each chapter of "How to Live" offers bonus content accessible through special QR codes—including video messages from Kunal, exclusive photos, and behind-the-scenes interviews. This book is more than a memoir; it's an immersive experience that helps readers rediscover life's essence and find their path.
Kunal Gupta publishes a weekly blog and is active on social media.

Show book