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Victims' State: War and Welfare in Austria, 1868-1925
by Ke-Chin HsiaThe belligerent country that literally started the First World War, the Habsburg Empire suffered grievously during the global conflict. At the end of the war, it was estimated that 1.2 million soldiers, out of 8 million men and 100,000 women mobilized from an empire of 52 million, perished in service. Among those who lived, the wounded, the disabled, and their dependents constituted at least several million people whose survival was endangered both during and after the war. How did the Habsburg Empire confront the scale of the casualties brought about by the First World War? What care and support were offered to disabled soldiers and dead soldiers' surviving dependents? Victims' State offers the first integrated account of how the Austrian half of the empire and the successor Austrian Republic responded to the needs of citizen-soldiers and their families from the nineteenth century to the interwar years. Ke-Chin Hsia traces the policies, ideas, and administrative practices developed over the decades by a range of government, semi-public, and societal actors to deal with the massive losses of lives, health, and livelihoods. The provision of care and welfare to disabled veterans, war widows, and war orphans shows that compulsory military service and war mobilization profoundly changed the relations between citizens and the Austrian state. The expansion of the Austrian welfare state was consciously undertaken by the Habsburg authorities as well as the successor Austrian Republic to generate support and create legitimacy in times of crisis. In the process, assertive war victims helped create a participatory welfare system and contributed to the democratic transition of 1918-1920. With its incisive analysis, Victims' State underscores the centrality of totalizing war to the making of modern citizenship and the fully-fledged European welfare state.
Public Engagement with Holocaust Memory Sites in Poland (The Holocaust and its Contexts)
by Diana I. PopescuThis book aims to address a neglected field of research by providing evidence-based insights into how contemporary visitors of different national and generational background, especially those of Polish and Jewish descent, experience and reflect on their visits, or on living in the proximity of different sites of memory across Poland, including former concentration and death camps, ghetto sites, and other physical sites such as museums with a connection to the Holocaust.
The Little Book of War Poets: The Human Experience of War (The\little Book Of... Ser.)
by Orange Hippo!A unique perspective on war and its impact.Poets have written about the experience of war since ancient times, but the young soldier poets of the First World War established war poetry as a literary genre. Leaving an indelible mark on literature, their poems offered a powerful insight into the human experience of conflict.This book explores the work of some of the most influential poets of the period – many of whom lost their lives in battle – including Wilfred Owen and Rupert Brooke, as well as lesser-known poets such as Australian Leon Gellert and Canadian John McCrae. Through their words, readers are transported to the trenches and battlefields of the First World War, and can glimpse the horror, trauma, and loss experienced by soldiers and civilians alike.Packed full of intriguing background information and including moving quotes from letters, poems and other sources, this book is a testament to the power of language to capture and convey the most profound of human experiences.We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. From the poem In Flanders Fields, by Canadian poet John McRae who wrote it after presiding over the funeral of his friend who was killed during the Battle of Ypres in May 1915.
Long Way Home
by null Michael MorpurgoLong Way Home is a heartfelt tale of an orphaned boy in search of family from War Horse author and former Children's Laureate, Michael Morpurgo. Another summer. Another foster family. George has already made up his mind to run away, back to the children’s home. None of the previous families have wanted him. Why should the Dyers be any different? But George begins to feel at ease with Tom Dyer and his sister Storme, even happy, and changes his mind. He could even feel at home with them – couldn’t he? Michael Morpurgo, demonstrates why he is considered to be the master storyteller with this book about orphans, family, love and finding a place one can call home. He has written more than one hundred books for children including An Eagle in the Snow, Listen to the Moon, Private Peaceful, and An Elephant in the Garden and won the Whitbread Award, the Smarties Award, the Circle of Gold Award, the Children’s Book Award and has been short-listed for the Carnegie Medal four times.
The Ghost of Grania O'Malley
by null Michael MorpurgoThe Ghost of Grania O’Malley is another gripping ghost story from Britain’s best-loved children’s author, Michael Morpurgo. Now available as an ebook. Everyone knows the Big Hill is full of gold, and now the islanders are intent on cutting the top off it and making themselves rich. Jessie and Jake are determined to save the Big Hill but what can they do? A plan is needed, and fast. Could the ghost of Grania O'Malley, the pirate queen, be the answer? You don’t know what you can do until you try. Former Children’s Laureate and award-winning author of War Horse, Michael Morpurgo, demonstrates why he is considered to be the master story teller with this enchanting tale.
Winter of the World (The Century Trilogy #2)
by Ken FollettWinter of the World is the second novel in Ken Follett's uniquely ambitious Century trilogy. On its own or read in sequence with Fall of Giants and Edge of Eternity, this is a spellbinding epic of global conflict and personal drama during World War II.A Battle of IdealsIt is 1933 and, at Cambridge, Lloyd Williams is drawn to irresistible socialite Daisy Peshkov, who represents everything that his left-wing family despise. But Daisy is more interested in aristocratic Boy Fitzherbert, a leader in the British Union of Fascists.An Evil UprisingBerlin is in turmoil. Eleven-year-old Carla von Ulrich struggles to understand the tensions disrupting her family as Hitler strengthens his grip on Germany. Many are resolved to oppose Hitler’s brutal regime – but are they willing to betray their country?A Global Conflict on a Scale Never Seen BeforeShaken by the tyranny and the prospect of war, the lives of five families become ever more enmeshed. As an international clash of military power and personal beliefs sweeps the world, what will this new war mean for those who must live through it?Continue the captivating Century Trilogy with Edge of Eternity.
Fall of Giants: Enhanced Edition (The Century Trilogy #1)
by Ken FollettThe first in Ken Follett's breathtaking Century Trilogy, Fall of Giants is a captivating novel that follows five families through the world-shaking dramas of the First World War, the Russian Revolution, and the struggle for votes for women.A World in Chaos1911, a thirteen-year-old boy, Billy Williams, begins working down the mines as George V is crowned king. The escalating arms race between the empire nations will put not only the king but this young boy in grave danger.A Terrible WarBilly’s family is inextricably linked with the Fitzherberts, the aristocratic owners of the coal mine where he works. And when Maud Fitzherbert falls in love with Walter von Ulrich, a spy at the German embassy in London, their destiny also becomes entangled with that of Gus Dewar, an ambitious young aide to Woodrow Wilson, and two orphaned Russian brothers whose plan to emigrate to America falls foul of conscription, revolution and imminent war.A Revolution That Will Change EverythingWhen Russia convulses in bloody revolution and the Great War unfolds, the five families’ futures are entwined forever, love bringing them closer even as conflict takes them further apart. What seeds will be sown for further tragedy in the twentieth century and what role will each play in what is to come?Continue the captivating Century Trilogy with Winter of the World and Edge of Eternity.
Churchill's D-Day: The Inside Story
by Richard Dannatt Allen Packwood'This is a fascinating book which re-examines events that liberated and thus shaped the future of Europe.' Lord Soames, Winston Churchill's grandson 'An engrossing delight . . . Dannatt and Packwood have produced an account of Churchill's D-Day worthy of both the Great Man and the colossal event . . . Readers will greedily want more in the future from this superb writing partnership.' International Churchill Society 'Do you realise that by the time you wake up in the morning twenty thousand men may have been killed?'- Winston Churchill to Clementine Churchill, 5 June 1944D-Day is rightly celebrated as a great triumph and a major turning point in the Second World War. But as Churchill knew, large-scale land and sea operations were fraught with danger and victory was not guaranteed. What would have happened if D-Day had failed? Would the outcome of the war have been different? And how much of its success was down to the leadership of one man?Churchill's D-Day plunges us back in time to this knife-edge moment to witness events as they unfolded. Through documents and letters from the Churchill Archives Centre in Cambridge, we get a vivid sense of the tremendous risks involved in the planning and execution of Operation Overlord, the largest land, sea and air operation ever staged. This authoritative new history combines the analysis of General Richard Dannatt, one of the most respected of Britain's contemporary military leaders, with the insight of Allen Packwood, one of the world's foremost Churchill experts. Together they reveal the intricacies of Churchill's thinking, the strength of his instrumental leadership, his precision planning and impeccable timing.Original, illuminating and gripping, Churchill's D-Day demonstrates how the road to victory led directly from the beaches of Normandy to the streets of Berlin, ultimately securing our freedom.
Das Erbe des Krieges: Die Entstehung, Entwicklung und Transformation der Lebanese Forces von einer Miliz in eine politische Partei (Politik und Gesellschaft des Nahen Ostens)
by Peter BlankDas vorliegende Buch untersucht die Entstehung und Entwicklung der Lebanese Forces als Miliz im libanesischen Bürgerkrieg (1975-1990) und ihre Transformation in eine politische Partei nach dem Ende des Krieges bis in die heutige Zeit. Als eine der wichtigsten Parteien des Landes spiegelt die Entwicklung der Lebanese Forces die wechselhafte Geschichte des Libanons seit dem Bürgerkrieg wider. Durch die Untersuchung der Organisationsstrukturen sowie von Mitgliederprofilen und Ideologie werden die Kontinuitäten und Diskontinuitäten der Parteigeschichte in ihrem historischen Kontext sichtbar gemacht und aufgezeigt, wie das Erbe des Krieges die politischen und gesellschaftlichen Entwicklungen des Libanons auch Jahrzehnte nach dem Ende der Gewalt prägt.
National Security Through the Lens of the ‘Five Eyes’ Nations: Analyzing Domestic and Homeland Considerations for Intersectoral Collaboration
by John Michael WeaverThis book analyzes the ‘Five Eyes’ nations’ concerns and policies relating to national security threats through an interdisciplinary theoretical engagement with the Political, Information, Security and Economic (PISE) Model. Through the analysis of secondary data sources such as scholarly and government reports, policy documents, press releases and interviews, the author analyzes the five case studies—Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK, and the USA—to determine how and why nations use the PISE variables to shape favorable homeland security outcomes, to determine what the points of homeland intersectoral collaboration are among the ‘Five Eyes’ nations. In so doing, Weaver determines that although the ‘Five Eyes’ countries have concerns about homeland security and each, individually, identifies threats and hazards, they do also employ collaborative measures to build resilience and increase efforts to prepare for anticipated security breaches.
Question 7: The beautiful, genre-bending new literary read from the Booker Prize winning author
by Richard Flanagan'Question 7 could be Richard Flanagan’s greatest yet' Guardian‘A masterpiece’ Mark HaddonThis is a book about the choices we make and the chain reaction that follows . . .By way of H. G. Wells and Rebecca West’s affair, through 1930s nuclear physics, to Flanagan’s father working as a slave labourer near Hiroshima when the atom bomb is dropped, this daisy chain of events reaches fission when a young man finds himself trapped in a rapid on a wild river, not knowing if he is to live or to die.Flanagan has created a love song to his island home and his parents and the terrible past that delivered him to that place.Through a hypnotic melding of dream, history, science, and memory, Question 7 shows how our lives so often arise out of the stories of others and the stories we invent about ourselves.‘I was fascinated, troubled, and enchanted by this strange and extraordinary work... I can think of nothing else quite like it’ Sarah Perry‘Mighty in its rage and tenderness: his most momentous book yet’ Laura Cumming'Spectacular . . . It seems to me a book that will have an overwhelming effect on readers. It certainly did on me' Colm TóibínRichard Flanagan, Winner of the Booker Prize 2014
The Road to the Country
by Chigozie ObiomaTHE TWICE BOOKER-SHORTLISTED AUTHOR'Obioma is truly the heir to Chinua Achebe' New York Times'Incredibly moving and hopeful' Nadifa Mohamed'Remarkable' Alice Walker 'A major voice' Salman Rushdie'A wondrous novel’ Nana Kwame Adjei-BrenyahAt first the vision is grainy but slowly it clears, and there appears the figure of a man.When a country is plunged into civil war, two brothers on either side of it are divided. They will try to find their way back to each other. Kunle's search for his sibling Tunde becomes a journey of atonement which sees him conscripted into the army to fight a war he hardly understands. Once there, he will forge friendships to last a lifetime, and he will meet a woman who will change his world forever. But will he find his brother?The story of a young man seeking redemption in a nation on fire, Chigozie Obioma's novel is an odyssey of brotherhood, love and unimaginable courage set during the Biafran War. Intertwining myth and realism into a thrilling, inspired and emotionally powerful novel, The Road to the Country is a masterpiece.***MORE PRAISE FOR THE ROAD TO THE COUNTRY AND CHIGOZIE OBIOMA***'Chigozie Obioma brings the Biafran War to life in a visceral yet mystical way. Loss, pain and grief are etched onto a canvas that seems timeless and endless. I grieve for those lost in that doomed declaration of independence but celebrate those, such as Chigozie, who carry their torches’ Nadifa Mohamed‘This powerfully evocative and intimate book is unarguably Obioma’s finest. Through subtle, piercing, and gripping language, he renders those seemingly simple but unforgettable moments when our lives intertwine with history, anchoring you to the pages until the end. The Road to the Country will remind you that our existence is the histories of past, present, and the future—and the importance of understanding that. This is among the best books I’ve read in a while and is certainly destined to be a classic’ Ishmael Beah‘A spectacular blend of realism and mysticism, The Road to the Country is Chigozie Obioma at his finest. He is a novelist in a league of his own’ Imbolo Mbue'A remarkable talent' Independent‘Chigozie Obioma is a gifted and original storyteller’ Jennifer Clement'Few contemporary novels achieve the seductive panache of Obioma's heightened language’ Guardian‘One of the most exciting voices of modern African literature’ Financial Times‘A truly gifted writer, Obioma has proven yet again that he's a literary treasure’ Nicole Dennis-Benn
Asia-Pacific Regional Security Assessment 2024: Key developments and trends
The Asia-Pacific Regional Security Assessment (APRSA) examines key regional security policies and challenges relevant to the proceedings of the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier defence summit convened by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). It is published and launched at the Dialogue and the issues analysed within its covers are central to discussions at the event and beyond. This eleventh edition comes as the APRSA celebrates its first decade. A dozen IISS experts reflect on a decade of change and continuity across major security policies and challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region. Three themes materialise across six chapters: the pressure and constraints surrounding great-power competition, the enduring value of alliances and partnerships and the impact of advanced and emerging technology for regional security dynamics.In addition to the introduction, the APRSA will now feature a special-topic chapter providing a deeper analysis of an enduring security policy and challenge. The other five chapters investigate further key dimensions of the regional security environment, supported by maps, graphs, charts and tables. The six chapters of this year’s APRSA cover the following topics: Combined military exercises in the Asia-Pacific Crisis management between the United States and China India’s defence partnership in the Asia-Pacific Diplomatic approaches to managing the Myanmar conflict Disinformation campaigns in the Asia-Pacific The Asia-Pacific air-to-air challenge
Asia-Pacific Regional Security Assessment 2024: Key developments and trends
The Asia-Pacific Regional Security Assessment (APRSA) examines key regional security policies and challenges relevant to the proceedings of the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier defence summit convened by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). It is published and launched at the Dialogue and the issues analysed within its covers are central to discussions at the event and beyond. This eleventh edition comes as the APRSA celebrates its first decade. A dozen IISS experts reflect on a decade of change and continuity across major security policies and challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region. Three themes materialise across six chapters: the pressure and constraints surrounding great-power competition, the enduring value of alliances and partnerships and the impact of advanced and emerging technology for regional security dynamics.In addition to the introduction, the APRSA will now feature a special-topic chapter providing a deeper analysis of an enduring security policy and challenge. The other five chapters investigate further key dimensions of the regional security environment, supported by maps, graphs, charts and tables. The six chapters of this year’s APRSA cover the following topics: Combined military exercises in the Asia-Pacific Crisis management between the United States and China India’s defence partnership in the Asia-Pacific Diplomatic approaches to managing the Myanmar conflict Disinformation campaigns in the Asia-Pacific The Asia-Pacific air-to-air challenge
Neighbors at War
by Deborah CarrWhen everything is at stake, how far would you go to save your neighbor?
Neighbours at War
by Deborah CarrWhen everything is at stake, how far would you go to save your neighbour?
Good Victims: The Political as a Feminist Question (Oxford Studies in Gender and International Relations)
by Roxani KrystalliAs of 2023, over nine million Colombians have secured official recognition as victims of an armed conflict that has lasted decades. The category of "victim" is not a mere description of having suffered harm, but a political status and a potential site of power. In Good Victims, Roxani Krystalli investigates the politics of victimhood as a feminist question. Based on in-depth engagement in Colombia over the course of a decade, Krystalli argues for the possibilities of politics through, rather than in opposition to, the status of "victim." Encompassing acts of care, agency, and haunting, the politics of victimhood entangle people who identify as victims, researchers, and transitional justice professionals. Krystalli shows how victimhood becomes a pillar of reimagining the state in the wake of war, and of bringing a vision of that state into being through bureaucratic encounters. Good Victims also sheds light on the ethical and methodological dilemmas that arise when contemplating the legacies of transitional justice mechanisms.
Good Victims: The Political as a Feminist Question (Oxford Studies in Gender and International Relations)
by Roxani KrystalliAs of 2023, over nine million Colombians have secured official recognition as victims of an armed conflict that has lasted decades. The category of "victim" is not a mere description of having suffered harm, but a political status and a potential site of power. In Good Victims, Roxani Krystalli investigates the politics of victimhood as a feminist question. Based on in-depth engagement in Colombia over the course of a decade, Krystalli argues for the possibilities of politics through, rather than in opposition to, the status of "victim." Encompassing acts of care, agency, and haunting, the politics of victimhood entangle people who identify as victims, researchers, and transitional justice professionals. Krystalli shows how victimhood becomes a pillar of reimagining the state in the wake of war, and of bringing a vision of that state into being through bureaucratic encounters. Good Victims also sheds light on the ethical and methodological dilemmas that arise when contemplating the legacies of transitional justice mechanisms.
The Holocaust: Country by Country
by Eve E. Grimm Professor Paul R. BartropFrom genocidal campaigns to careful neutrality to valiant lifesaving efforts, every country's experience of the Holocaust was different during and immediately following World War II.This book profiles 50 nations and territories from around the globe, examining how prewar conditions and attitudes toward Jews influenced the trajectory of that place's wartime experience and its role in the Holocaust. It also explores the aftermath and lasting impact of the Holocaust in these places. Each profile begins with a collection of at-a-glance facts about population, government leaders, wartime status, and more. All profiles begin with a brief introduction, followed by information about the Jewish population in that place, the prewar environment, wartime experiences, and the aftermath of the Holocaust. This standardized format makes it easy for readers to find specific information while also helping them place events within the proper historical context. A curated selection of further readings at the end of each profile and an end-of-volume list of books and Internet resources point readers toward materials for additional study.While often conceptualized as a single event that happened the same way across all Axis or Axis-occupied countries, the Holocaust and reactions to it varied widely from country to country. In many cases, political and economic conditions in the prewar years, as well as the degree of anti-Semitism in a nation, influenced that country's experience of the Holocaust. Even after the war, countries experienced the aftermath of the Holocaust in different ways. Some places, such as Palestine, became a beacon for Jewish refugees, while others, such as Brazil, became a hideout for Nazi war criminals.
The Holocaust: Country by Country
by Eve E. Grimm Professor Paul R. BartropFrom genocidal campaigns to careful neutrality to valiant lifesaving efforts, every country's experience of the Holocaust was different during and immediately following World War II.This book profiles 50 nations and territories from around the globe, examining how prewar conditions and attitudes toward Jews influenced the trajectory of that place's wartime experience and its role in the Holocaust. It also explores the aftermath and lasting impact of the Holocaust in these places. Each profile begins with a collection of at-a-glance facts about population, government leaders, wartime status, and more. All profiles begin with a brief introduction, followed by information about the Jewish population in that place, the prewar environment, wartime experiences, and the aftermath of the Holocaust. This standardized format makes it easy for readers to find specific information while also helping them place events within the proper historical context. A curated selection of further readings at the end of each profile and an end-of-volume list of books and Internet resources point readers toward materials for additional study.While often conceptualized as a single event that happened the same way across all Axis or Axis-occupied countries, the Holocaust and reactions to it varied widely from country to country. In many cases, political and economic conditions in the prewar years, as well as the degree of anti-Semitism in a nation, influenced that country's experience of the Holocaust. Even after the war, countries experienced the aftermath of the Holocaust in different ways. Some places, such as Palestine, became a beacon for Jewish refugees, while others, such as Brazil, became a hideout for Nazi war criminals.
D-Day Remembered: From the Invasion to the Liberation of Paris
by Richard Holmes Imperial War Museum80th ANNIVERSARY EDITIONProduced in collaboration with Imperial War MuseumsRelive the day that changed the course of history. On 6 June 1944, D-Day marked the beginning of a campaign that involved more than a million men and helped seal the fate of Hitler's Germany.Written by esteemed military historian Richard Holmes and including rare documents, diaries and secret memos from the archives of the Imperial War Museums, D-Day Remembered details the planning, execution and aftermath of the most momentous event of the Second World War.
How to Survive a Crisis: Lessons in Resilience and Avoiding Disaster
by David OmandFrom the former Director of GCHQ comes an invaluable guide to surviving crises - how to spot them early and lessen their devastating consequences - using the latest intelligence strategies'David Omand is exactly the man you need in a crisis' RORY STEWARTWe never know when a crisis might explode. Some 'sudden impact' events, such as terrorist attacks or natural disasters, blow up out of a clear blue sky. Other 'slow burn' crises smoulder away for years, often with warning signs ignored along the way until, as if from nowhere, the troops storm the palace.In How to Survive a Crisis, Professor Sir David Omand draws on his experience in defence, security and intelligence, including as Director of GCHQ and UK Security and Intelligence Coordinator, to show how you can detect a looming crisis and extinguish it (or at least survive it with minimum loss).Using gripping real-world examples from Omand's storied career, and drawing lessons from historic catastrophes such as Chernobyl, 9/11, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the WannaCry ransomware cyberattack, this empowering book is filled with practical advice on how to survive the multiplying crises of the future. Not every crisis need tip into disaster - if we have invested in personal, business and national resilience.This is an essential toolkit for our turbulent twenty-first century, as well as an exhilarating read for anyone interested in the state of our world - and how we might improve it.'This book is the instruction manual we all need' SIR ALEX YOUNGER, CHIEF OF MI6
Aftermath: Life in the Fallout of the Third Reich
by Harald JähnerTHE TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLER***SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION******SHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH ACADEMY BOOK PRIZE******SHORTLISTED FOR THE CUNDILL HISTORY PRIZE***A Book of the YearThe Times * Sunday Times * Telegraph * New Statesman * Financial Times * Irish Independent * Daily Mail'A masterpiece' SPECTATOR'Exemplary [and] important... This is the kind of book few writers possess the clarity of vision to write' MAX HASTINGS, SUNDAY TIMES'Magnificent... There are great lessons in the nature of humanity to be learnt here' TELEGRAPHGermany, 1945: a country in ruins. Cities have been reduced to rubble and more than half of the population are where they do not belong or do not want to be. How can a functioning society ever emerge from this chaos?In bombed-out Berlin, Ruth Andreas-Friedrich, journalist and member of the Nazi resistance, warms herself by a makeshift stove and records in her diary how a frenzy of expectation and industriousness grips the city. The Americans send Hans Habe, an Austro-Hungarian Jewish journalist and US army soldier, to the frontline of psychological warfare - tasked with establishing a newspaper empire capable of remoulding the minds of the Germans. The philosopher Hannah Arendt returns to the country she fled to find a population gripped by a manic loquaciousness, but faces a deafening wall of silence at the mention of the Holocaust.Aftermath is a nuanced panorama of a nation undergoing monumental change. 1945 to 1955 was a raw, wild decade poised between two eras that proved decisive for Germany's future - and one starkly different to how most of us imagine it today. Featuring black and white photographs and posters from post-war Germany - some beautiful, some revelatory, some shocking - Aftermath evokes an immersive portrait of a society corrupted, demoralised and freed - all at the same time.
The Golden Library (Ben Hope #29)
by null Scott MarianiLearn the secret – or die trying Has ex-SAS soldier Ben Hope finally got out of his depth? That’s the question Ben faces when the hunt for a missing girl takes him to China. He’s a stranger in a strange land – but he’s also the victim’s only hope. To make things worse, she’s almost family. As the pressure mounts, so does the gruesome death toll. With ruthless enemies in pursuit and an unlikely alliance with an enigmatic detective his only lifeline, Ben realises that this situation is far more explosive than even he’d bargained for. Suddenly it’s no longer just the missing girl’s fate depending on him. At the heart of the mystery lies an ancient secret dating back to China’s first emperor and the legendary Terracotta Army – a secret that people will still kill for, millennia later. Ben Hope has never turned his back on those in need, and he’s no stranger to tough odds. But can he survive long enough to discover the truth – and is he ready for the consequences? Discover more about Scott Mariani and Ben Hope at www.scottmariani.com
Operation Biting: The 1942 Parachute Assault to Capture Hitler’s Radar
by null Max HastingsOperation Biting was one of the most thrilling British commando raids of World War II, and probably the most successful. In February 1942 RAF intelligence was baffled by a newly-identified radar network on the coast of Nazi-occupied Europe, codenamed Würzburg. The brilliant scientist Dr RV Jones proposed an assault to capture key components. The nearest accessible enemy set stood upon a steep cliff at Bruneval in Normandy. Winston Churchill enthused, as did Lord Louis Mountbatten, chief of Combined Operations. A company of the newly-formed Airborne Forces was committed to the operation, which took place on the night of 27/28 February. Amid heavy snow 120 men landed, some of whom were misdropped almost two miles from their objective. They nonetheless launched the assault, dismantled the German radar, and after three nail-biting hours in France and a fierce battle with Wehrmacht defenders, escaped in the nick of time by landing-craft across stormy seas to Portsmouth. Max Hastings recounts this cliffhanging tale in a wealth of previously unchronicled detail. He portrays its remarkable personalities: the ‘boffin’ RV Jones; the peacock Mountbatten; the troubled husband of Daphne Du Maurier, Gen. ’Boy’ Browning, who commanded the Airborne Division; ‘Colonel Remy’, the French secret agent whose men reconnoitered Bruneval at mortal risk; Major John Frost, who led the paras into action; Charlie Cox, the little RAF technician who stripped the Würzburg and became an unexpected hero; Wing-Commander Charles Pickard, a legendary bomber pilot who led the drop squadron. Seldom have so many fascinating personalities been brought together to fulfil a mission that became a front-page triumph in a season of British defeats. Recounted in Hastings’ familiar best-selling blend of top-down and bottom-up action detail, Operation Biting tells a story that has become almost forgotten yet deserves to rank among the epic tales of courage and daring that took place in the greatest conflict in history.