In the Shadow of Power: Influence and Spin Down the Centuries

In The Shadow of Power throws a brief spotlight on some of the people who operated as right-hand men or women who advised, sometimes influenced and occasionally manipulated key leaders in history. They practiced 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.

From Alexander the Great to Saddam Hussein, from Cardinal Richelieu and Howard Hughes to Martin Luther King and Pope Benedict—each had a 'fixer' or éminence grise. The role through history has changed 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.

They come in all guises: diplomats and courtesans, concubines and clerics, politicians and journalists, and from around the world—USA and Europe, India, China and France—but the role of the éminence grise is often a dangerous one and getting too close to the powerful can prove fatal.

Bob Whittington, a former journalist in newspapers, BBC and ITN, has written books on current affairs as well as novels and biographies in his own name and as a ghost writer. (www.bobwhittington.com)