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Nein!: Standing Up To Hitler 1935-1944
by Paddy AshdownFrom the bestselling and prize-winning author Paddy Ashdown, a revelatory new history of German opposition to Hitler from 1935 – 1944
The Maid The Greek Married: Carrying Her Boss's Christmas Baby (billion-dollar Christmas Confessions) / Wedding Night With The Wrong Billionaire / A Ring For The Spaniard's Revenge / The Maid The Greek Married (The Xenakis Reunion #2)
by Jackie AshendenA vow to transform her life!
Get Rommel: The secret British mission to kill Hitler's greatest general
by Michael AsherHow the first ever SAS operation ended in disaster in the desertIn summer 1941 Erwin Rommel was Hitler's favourite general: he had driven the British out of Libya and stood poised to invade Egypt. He seemed unbeatable. So the British decided to have him killed. The British opened their counter-attack with a series of special forces raids, the first ever operation by the newly formed SAS. Rommel was one of the targets.Michael Asher reveals how poor planning and incompetence in high places led to disaster in the desert-- and how fantastic bravery and brilliant improvisation enabled a handful of men to escape. Classic real life adventure, written by best-selling desert expert and novelist Michael Asher.
The Real Bravo Two Zero: The Truth Behind Bravo Two Zero
by Michael AsherThe true story of the most famous SAS operation in history.'Bravo Two Zero' was the code-name of the famous SAS operation: a classic story of bravery in the face of overwhelming odds. BRAVO TWO ZERO by patrol commander 'Andy McNab' became an international bestseller, as did the book by 'Chris Ryan' (THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY). Both men became millionaires. Three members of the patrol were killed. One, veteran sergeant Vince Phillips, was blamed in both books for a succession of mistakes. As Michael Asher reveals, the stories in BRAVO TWO ZERO and THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY grew considerably in the telling. Their heroic tales of taking out tanks with their rocket launchers, mowing down hundreds of Iraqi soldiers, the silent stabbing of the occasional sentry, were never mentioned at their post-war debriefings... In an investigation literally in the footsteps of the patrol, Michael Asher tells the true story.
The Regiment: The Real Story of the SAS
by Michael AsherOn 4 May 1980, seven terrorists holding twenty-one people captive in the Iranian Embassy in London’s Prince’s Gate, executed their first hostage. They threatened to kill another hostage every thirty minutes until their demands were met. Minutes later, armed men in black overalls and balaclavas shimmied down the roof on ropes and burst in through windows and doors. In seconds all but one of the terrorists had been shot dead, the other captured.For most people, this was their first acquaintance with a unit that was soon to become the ideal of modern military excellence – the Special Air Service regiment. Few realized that the SAS had been in existence for almost forty years, playing a discreet, if not secret, role almost everywhere Britain had fought since World War II, and had been the prototype of all modern special forces units throughout the world.In The Regiment, Michael Asher – a former soldier in 23 SAS Regiment – examines the evolution of the special forces idea and investigates the real story behind the greatest military legend of the late twentieth century.
Sands of Death: An Epic Tale Of Massacre And Survival In The Sahara
by Michael AsherDesert explorer Michael Asher investigates the most disastrous exploration mission in the history of the SaharaIn December 1880 a French expedition attempted to map a route for a railway that would stretch from their colony in Algeria right across the Sahara desert to reach their territories in West Africa. 'Paris to Timbuctoo in Six Days' was the slogan. It would do for the French colonies what the American railways were doing in the western states at the same time. No native opposition was expected. As one of the expedition's organizers said, 'A hundred uncivilized tribesmen armed with old-fashioned spears: what is that against the might of France?' Four months later, a handful of emaciated survivors staggered into a remote outpost on the edge of the desert. Although armed with modern rifles, the column had been lured to destruction by the self-styled 'lords of the desert', the Tuareg. At this, the highpoint of European colonialism in Africa, this story of treachery, massacre, torture and even cannibalism made headlines around the world. Attacked by the Tuareg in their remote heartland, the survivors had been pursued for weeks on end, driven into the waterless desert to die. The desperate lengths they resorted to shocked Victorian sensibilities. They do not make easy reading now. This grisly story, told by our greatest living desert explorer reveals what happened when the conceit of western colonialism met the equally arrogant Tuareg, who had dominated this remote region, and anyone trying to cross it, for a thousand years.
War Bodies
by Neal AsherRebellion could be their salvation – or their doom. War Bodies by Neal Asher is a gripping, high-octane standalone set in his expansive Polity universe.Long ago, the Cyberat left Earth to co-evolve with machines. Now, led by the powerful dictator Castron, their Old Guard believe that machines should replace the physical body. But these beliefs are upended with the arrival of the human Polity – and their presence ignites rebellion.Piper was raised as a weapon against the Cyberat, implanted with secretive hardware. When his parents are captured by the Old Guard, the Polity offer him unexpected aid. Piper knows the Polity want more from him, but at what cost? The rebellion also attracts the deadly prador, placing an entire world in peril.As war rages across the planet, Piper must battle with the unknown technology implanted in his bones. It may be the Polity’s answer to their relentless fight against the prador. It could also be civilization-ending Jain tech – or something far more extraordinary.
The Death of Transcendence: Reflections on Jean Améry’s “At the Mind’s Limits”
by Yoav AshkenazyThe Death of Transcendence presents a clear and compelling close reading and interpretation of the five essays included in Jean Améry’s At the Mind’s Limits, describing them as one continuous and progressing argument on the possibility of human society in the wake of the Holocaust. Through the thought of Ludwig Wittgenstein, Iris Murdoch, J.M. Bernstein and, Charles Taylor, Ashkenazy uncovers the importance and significance of such concepts as transcendence, lose, self, other, love, and home for establishing and maintaining a human life and world, and recovering it, should it be lost. Written with both clarity and academic rigour, this book offers novel ideas, firmly grounded in existing philosophical literature, and is intended for both professional scholars and general readers of Améry.
Dead End Kids: Heroes of the Blitz
by Bernard AshleyLondon is at war and as the Blitz rages, children like Josie and her brother Len face the same dangers as the adults. Can they find the strength to stand up against the onslaught?A tale of amazing bravery, inspired by the true story of the Dead End Kids of Wapping - young people who fought fires and rescued their friends and neighbours from bomb sites. Perfect for fans of Michael Morpurgo, this dramatic story brings the Second World War vividly to life.
Warrior Origins: The Historical and Legendary Links between Bodhidharma, Shaolin Kung-Fu, Karate and Ninjutsu
by Dr Hutan AshrafianWARRIOR ORIGINS is an account of the history and legends of the world’s prominent martial arts and how they share a common heritage. It chronicles the origins of the Shaolin warrior monks, Shaolin Kung-Fu and their celebrated founder, Bodhidharma, who is also considered the first patriarch of Zen (Chan) Buddhism. The book considers Bodhidharma’s origins in the context of ancient Persia and its royal houses and continues with the rise of Karate from ancient Okinawan roots to Japan and then into a global sport. It connects the record of Ninja and Ninjutsu and the influence of some of its latter luminaries, including Seiko Fujita, whilst also revealing new evidence on renowned martial artists such as Bruce Lee. This work takes a dramatically original approach to the heart of the martial arts and their founders. Author Dr Hutan Ashrafian, who holds black belt grades in several martial art styles, including a 5th Dan in Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate and championship medals in Karate and Judo at World and European Masters level, delineates the inheritance of these arts using innovative evolutionary approaches to find previously unidentified links between them. Warrior Origins traces the pattern from Bodhidharma to the remarkable diversity of modern martial arts.
Britain and China 1945-1950: Documents on British Policy Overseas, Series I Volume VIII (Whitehall Histories)
by S. R. Ashton G. Bennett K. HamiltonAn examination of Britain's relations with China from the end of the World War II to the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950. This volume demonstrates how Britain's effort to recover something of its pre-war commercial pre-eminence in China were handicapped by its post-war financial weakness.
Britain and China 1945-1950: Documents on British Policy Overseas, Series I Volume VIII (Whitehall Histories #Vol. 7)
by S. R. Ashton G. Bennett K. A. HamiltonAn examination of Britain's relations with China from the end of the World War II to the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950. This volume demonstrates how Britain's effort to recover something of its pre-war commercial pre-eminence in China were handicapped by its post-war financial weakness.
Unbreakable: The Woman Who Defied the Nazis in the World’s Most Dangerous Horse Race
by Richard AskwithCzechoslovakia, October 1937. Europe’s youngest democracy is on its knees. Millions are mourning the death of the nation’s founding father, the saintly Tomáš Masaryk. Across the border, the Third Reich is menacing – and plotting to invade. In the Czechoslovak heartlands, vast crowds have gathered to watch the threatened nation’s most prestigious sporting contest: the Grand Pardubice steeplechase. Notoriously dangerous, the race is considered the ultimate test of manhood and fighting spirit. The Nazis, as usual, have sent their paramilitary elite: SS officers schooled to be Hitler’s most ruthless enforcers. Their mission: to crush – yet again – the “subhuman Slavs”. The local cavalry officers have no hope of stopping them.But there is one other contestant: a silver-haired countess riding a little golden mare…The story of Lata Brandisová is one of the strangest and most inspiring in all sport. Born into privilege, she spent much of her life in poverty. Modest and shy, she refused to accept the constraints society placed on her because of her gender. Instead, with quiet courage, she repeatedly achieved what others said was impossible. The scandal of her first attempt to ride in Pardubice reverberated across Europe. Ten years later, she became her nation’s figurehead in its darkest hour. Then came retribution…UNBREAKABLE is a tale of courage, heartbreak and defiance, in an age of prejudice and fear. In the background are forces – sexism, class hatred, nationalism – whose shadows darken today’s world too. In the foreground are eccentric aristocrats, socialite spies, daredevil jockeys – and a race so brutal that some consider merely taking part in it a sign of insanity. At its heart is a unique hero, and a unique love affair between a woman and a horse.
The Blind Man's Garden (Vintage International Ser.)
by Nadeem AslamLove is not consolation, it is light.'From the author of Maps for Lost Lovers comes a searing, exquisitely written novel set in Pakistan and Afghanistan in the months following 9/11 - a story of war, of one family's losses, and of the simplest, most enduring human impulses.Jeo and Mikal, foster-brothers from a small Pakistani city, secretly enter Afghanistan: not to fight with the Taliban, but to help and care for wounded civilians. But it soon becomes apparent that good intentions can't keep them out of harm's way...From the wilds of Afghanistan to the heart of the family left behind - their blind father haunted for years by the death of his wife, by the mistakes he may have made in the name of Islam and nationhood, Jeo's steadfast wife and her superstitious mother - Aslam's prose takes us on an extraordinary journey.
The Wasted Vigil (Vintage International Ser.)
by Nadeem Aslam'This land and its killing epochs.'Nadeem Aslam's dazzling new novel takes place in modern-day Afghanistan. A Russian woman named Lara arrives at the house of Marcus Caldwell, an Englishman and widower living in an old perfume factory in the shadow of the Tora Bora mountains. It is possible that Marcus's daughter, Zameen, may have known Lara's brother, a Soviet soldier who disappeared in the area many years previously. But like Marcus's wife, Zameen is dead; a victim of the age in which she was born. In the days that follow, further people will arrive at the house: David Town and James Palantine, two Americans who have spent much of their adult lives in the area, for their respective reasons; Dunia, a young Afghan teacher; and Casa, a radicalised young man intent on his own path.The stories and histories that unfold - interweaving and overlapping, and spanning nearly a quarter of a century - tell of the terrible afflictions that have plagued Afghanistan. A work of deepest humanity, The Wasted Vigil offers a timely portrait of this region, of love during war and conflict. At once angry, unflinching and memorably beautiful, it marks Nadeem Aslam as a world writer of major importance.
The United States and Military Coups in Turkey and Pakistan: Between Conspiracy and Reality
by Ömer AslanThis comparative study explores the involvement of the United States in four successful military coups in Turkey and Pakistan during the Cold War. Focusing on military-to-military relations with the US in each country, the book offers insight into how external actors can impact the outcomes of coups, particularly through socialization via military training, education, and international organizations such as NATO. Drawing upon recently declassified government documents and a trove of unexplored interviews with high-ranking officials, Ömer Aslan also examines how coup plotters in both countries approached the issue of US reaction before, during, and after their coups. As armed forces have continued to make and unmake Turkish and Pakistani governments well into the twenty-first century, this volume offers original, probing analysis of the circumstances which make coups possible.
The United States and Military Coups in Turkey and Pakistan: Between Conspiracy and Reality (PDF)
by Ömer AslanThis comparative study explores the involvement of the United States in four successful military coups in Turkey and Pakistan during the Cold War. Focusing on military-to-military relations with the US in each country, the book offers insight into how external actors can impact the outcomes of coups, particularly through socialization via military training, education, and international organizations such as NATO. Drawing upon recently declassified government documents and a trove of unexplored interviews with high-ranking officials, Ömer Aslan also examines how coup plotters in both countries approached the issue of US reaction before, during, and after their coups. As armed forces have continued to make and unmake Turkish and Pakistani governments well into the twenty-first century, this volume offers original, probing analysis of the circumstances which make coups possible.
War Memorial: The Story of One Village's Sacrifice from 1914 to 2003
by Clive AsletClive Aslet's War Memorial: The Story of One Village's Sacrifice from 1914 to 2003, is a powerful story of those who died in war.Who were the men and women whose names are commemorated on war memorials around the country? Where did they live - and how and why did they die?Such questions usually go unanswered, but this book for the first time unravels the story of one war memorial, in the Dartmoor village of Lydford. Through original documents, Clive Aslet traces in vivid detail the lives of the twenty-two men, and one woman, who made the supreme sacrifice fighting for Britain in the two World Wars, the Falklands and Iraq.The result is an intimate portrait of one corner of the countryside in the twentieth century, and an extraordinary tale of the endurance and bravery of otherwise ordinary people - farmers, masons, railway-workers, landowners, schoolchildren - who, but for the war memorial, would be forgotten. The perfect book for those who loved The Real Dad's Army by Colonel Rodney Foster, War Memorial is about the people who laid down their lives for us, and who will always be remembered.Praise for War Memorial:'With this book Aslet makes an important contribution to social history... the stories are not tidy portraits of heroism but achingly real portraits of wartime loss experienced by a changing rural community' Daily Express'Leaves one with a profound sense of the vagaries and cruelties of fate, particularly during times of war' Country Life'[A] fascinating history . . . Aslet tells their stories with great elegance, and though the period has been gone over in exhaustive detail, he still manages fresh insights that bring it to vivid life' Daily TelegraphClive Aslet is an award-winning journalist and former Editor of Country Life who has spent his career observing Britain and its ways. An authority on British life, he has written several books on the subject - including The Last Country Houses, Landmarks of Britain, and Villages of Britain.
Putin's Prisoner: My Time as a Prisoner of War in Ukraine
by Aiden Aslin John SweeneyBrought to you by Penguin.Aiden Aslin joined the Ukrainian marines in 2018, compelled to defend his adopted homeland from the growing threat of Russian invasion. In February 2022, as Russia mounted a full-scale offensive, Aiden and his unit were stationed at the frontline at Mariupol.Pinned down at a Mariupol steelworks, after a month-long siege and running out of supplies, Aiden was part of the mass surrender of over a thousand Ukrainian troops, in April 2022. Then his real ordeal began.Singled out for his British passport, Aiden was interrogated, tortured, stabbed, turned into a propaganda zombie, tried by a kangaroo court and then sentenced to death. A victim of a catalogue of abuses of international law, Aiden struggled to cling on to any hope of survival. Certain that he was going to be executed, he was eventually freed in a prisoner exchange and permitted to return home.In Putin's Prisoner, Aiden will tell the full, harrowing story of his time fighting in Putin's war, of his six months in Russian captivity, and of his hardened resolve to defend the freedoms of the people of Ukraine.©2023 Aiden Aslin & John Sweeney (P)2023 Penguin Audio
Cyprus at War: Diplomacy and Conflict During the 1974 Crisis (Library of International Relations)
by Jan AsmussenThe recent release of archives relating to the Cyprus War of 1974 shed completely fresh light on the lead-up to the Turkish landing on the island and its aftermath. This book, based on the records from the British and American governments, for the first time unpicks the truth behind this controversial conflict, the effects of which are still felt today. While there was no British-American involvement in the coup that overthrew Archbishop Makarios in July 1974, Jan Asmussen proves that some members of British and American intelligence knew about Athens' plans for a coup to occur at some point in the autumn of 1974, although they did not know the actual timetable nor of Ioannides' decision to put the plan into action. Asmussen explores why the British and the Americans did not take warnings about the coup more seriously and make more effort to tip off the Cyprus government about the imminent danger as well as, equally controversially, the reasons behind Britain's surprising reluctance to exercise her right of intervention on the island. Asmussen analyses the background to the 1974 war as well as the long shadow it casts right up to the failure of the Annan plan in 2004 and Turkey's campaigns to join the European Union. This is a vital re-reading, in the light of recently released documents, of a long-running conflict in the eastern Mediterranean, now transported to the heart of the European Union. It will be an essential source for anyone interested in British or American diplomatic affairs as well as the history of Cyprus.
Bono on Bono: Conversations With Michka Assayas
by Michka AssayasBono is one of the most influential musicians at work today. Over the past twenty-five years his band, U2, have sold a staggering 130 million albums and collected 14 Grammys. Their success has made Bono one of the most recognisable faces in the world.Here, in a series of conversations with his friend, the music journalist, Michka Assayas, Bono reflects on his transformation from extrovert singer of a small, Irish, post-punk band into an international rock star. Along the way he speaks candidly about his childhood, about his mother's death, about his Christian faith and about his difficult relationship with his father, who died recently. Bono also speaks passionately about how he has used his fame as a platform to campaign fervently on a range of global issues, and why these issues - which include the IRA ceasefire, Third World debt and, most recently, the growing AIDS crisis in Africa - are so important to each of us.Intimate, humorous, and fiercely opinionated, BONO ON BONO is Bono's story in his own words. It will fascinate and challenge fans of U2 and general readers alike.
Napoleon's Hundred Days and the Politics of Legitimacy (War, Culture and Society, 1750-1850)
by Katherine Astbury Mark PhilpThis book examines the politics of legitimacy as they played out across Europe in response to Napoleon’s dramatic return to power in France after his exile to Elba in 1814. Napoleon had to re-establish his claim to power with initially minimal military resources. Moreover, as the rest of Europe united against him, he had to marshal popular support for his new regime, while simultaneously demanding men and money to back what became an increasingly inevitable military campaign. The initial return – known as ‘the flight of the eagle’ – gradually turned into a dogged attempt to bolster support using a range of mechanisms, including constitutional amendments, elections, and public ceremonies. At the same time, his opponents had to marshal their resources to challenge his return, relying on populations already war-weary and resentful of the costs they had had to bear. The contributors to this volume explore how, for both sides, cultural politics became central in supporting or challenging the legitimacy of these political orders in the path to Waterloo.
Napoleon's Hundred Days and the Politics of Legitimacy
by Katherine Astbury Mark PhilpThis book examines the politics of legitimacy as they played out across Europe in response to Napoleon’s dramatic return to power in France after his exile to Elba in 1814. Napoleon had to re-establish his claim to power with initially minimal military resources. Moreover, as the rest of Europe united against him, he had to marshal popular support for his new regime, while simultaneously demanding men and money to back what became an increasingly inevitable military campaign. The initial return – known as ‘the flight of the eagle’ – gradually turned into a dogged attempt to bolster support using a range of mechanisms, including constitutional amendments, elections, and public ceremonies. At the same time, his opponents had to marshal their resources to challenge his return, relying on populations already war-weary and resentful of the costs they had had to bear. The contributors to this volume explore how, for both sides, cultural politics became central in supporting or challenging the legitimacy of these political orders in the path to Waterloo.
The Official ARRSE Guide to the British Army
by Major Des AstorHow will we defeat the Taleban and bring peace to Afghanistan? What will the British soldier of the late 21st century look like? When will the next World War break out?We're damned if we know, but if you want to find out what today's British Army is really like, then The Official Arrse Guide to the British Army is the book for you. Drawn from the wit and wisdom of the ARmy Rumour Service, Britain's biggest and most active military website, the Official Arrse Guide gives the inside track on all aspects of modern British military life. How do I join? Where will I be sent? What's the hardware like? What exactly is it that clerks put in staff officers' coffee? Why do the RAF wear uniforms? Where can I get a decent pair of boots? Is there any meat in an army sausage? All these crucial questions - and more - are answered in The Official Arrse Guide.
Military Innovation in Türkiye: An Overview of the Post-Cold War Era (Routledge Military and Strategic Studies on the Middle East and North Africa)
by Barış AteşThis book explores Turkish military innovation since the Cold War. The major questions addressed are how Türkiye has been able to innovate, the production of new weapon systems, its philosophical background, how the country overcame bureaucratic and economic obstacles, and how these innovations resonated in military doctrine and organization. Focusing on two main defense industry projects that trigger an overall change in the military doctrine and organization, the text examines the innovative inclinations of the Turkish military realm and reveals the societal, economic and political consequences of military innovation. This book fills a gap in the literature by providing an interdisciplinary and comprehensive overview of Turkish military innovation. Contributors include those involved in and affected by the military innovation process, as well as scholars who monitor the process using primary sources. Military Innovation in Türkiye will appeal to academics, politicians and military professionals interested in understanding the evolution of the Turkish military.