- Table View
- List View
The Dardanelles Campaign [Illustrated Edition]
by Henry Wood NevinsonHenry Wood Nevinson, surely thought that he had seen everything that war could throw up; as a seasoned war correspondent, he had followed the British forces in many campaigns including the second Boer War where he was stranded in Ladysmith during the siege. However his experiences during the First World War would shock him, he travelled to France and witnessed the initial clashes of the War. He then accompanied the troops to Gallipoli, being wounded in the process of his reporting. His experiences in the Peninsula would form the basis of this book.His account of the Dardanelles campaign covers all of the action from the initial planning stages on the Admiralty's drawing boards, through the naval attacks to the landings and the struggle amongst the deadly rocks and beaches of Gallipoli. Nevinson was careful to check and re-check his information, using numerous illustrations and staff maps for accuracy. It is clearly one of the best eye-witness written campaign studies of the terrible struggles of 1915 on the shores of Turkey.Highly recommended.Author -- Nevinson, Henry Wood, 1856-1941.Text taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in New York, H. Holt & co., 1919.Original Page Count - xx and 427 pages.Illustrations -- 16 maps and Illustrations
The Dardanelles Disaster
by Dan van der VatThe British Navy's failed attempt to capture Constantinople and secure a sea route to Russia in 1915 marked a turning point of World War I. Acclaimed naval military historian Dan van der Vat argues that the disaster at the Dardanelles not only prolonged the war for two years and brought Britain to the brink of starvation, but also led to the Russian Revolution and contributed to the rapid destabilization of the Middle East. With a narrative rich in human drama, The Dardanelles Disaster highlights the diplomatic clashes from Whitehall to the Hellespont, Berlin to Constantinople, and St Petersburg to the Bosporus. Van der Vat analyzes then-First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill's response to the obstacles he faced and describes the fateful actions of the Turkish, German, and British governments throughout the Gallipoli Campaign. With detailed analysis of the battle's events and never-before-published information on the German navy's mine laying operations, The Dardanelles Disaster tells a forgotten story from a fresh viewpoint, shedding light on one of World War I's most pivotal moments - and in particular on one avoidable and monumental blunder.
The Dardanelles Disaster: Winston Churchill's Greatest Failure
by Dan van der VatThe British Navy's catastrophic attempt to pass through the Dardanelles to Constantinople was a turning point in the history of World War I, and its repercussions still affect us today. Acclaimed naval military expert Dan van der Vat argues that the disaster at the Dardanelles prolonged the war by two years, led to the Russian Revolution, forced Britain to the brink of starvation, and contributed to the destabilization of the Middle East. With never before published information on Colonel Geehl's mine laying operation, which won the battle for the Germans, The Dardanelles Disaster is essential reading for everyone interested in great naval history, Churchill's early career, and World War I.
The Dardanelles Disaster: Winston Churchill's Greatest Failure
by Dan van der VatThe British Navy's catastrophic attempt to pass through the Dardanelles to Constantinople was a turning point in the history of World War I, and its repercussions still affect us today. Acclaimed naval military expert Dan van der Vat argues that the disaster at the Dardanelles prolonged the war by two years, led to the Russian Revolution, forced Britain to the brink of starvation, and contributed to the destabilization of the Middle East. With never before published information on Colonel Geehl's mine laying operation, which won the battle for the Germans, The Dardanelles Disaster is essential reading for everyone interested in great naval history, Churchill's early career, and World War I.
The Daredevil Of The Army; Experiences As A “Buzzer” And Despatch Rider [Illustrated Edition]
by Captain Austin Patrick CorcoranIncludes the First World War Illustrations Pack - 73 battle plans and diagrams and 198 photos"A bikers war-compellingly recounted"The highly dangerous task of the aide-de-camp was often to carry urgent despatches with essential calls to action across the field of battle. The young men chosen for the job were invariably dashing, brave and prepared to take risks to achieve their objectives. They were, of course, always expert horsemen. The age of the military horseman had not quite come to a close at the time of the First World War, but-as with most forms of progress-he was sharing duties with that which would eventually replace him, the machines of the new age. Now there was a another breed of 'daredevil,' though necessarily 'cut from the same cloth.' The motorcycle despatch riders were a new service created in an age of innovation. All were so called 'amateur' soldiers though immediately at least ranked corporal so that they could, by British Army convention, address officers directly. These were invariably intelligent, accomplished young men drawn from the professions or universities. Their creed was the same as that of their horse mounted predecessors-the messages they carried had to get through and to deliver them motorcyclists often had to outpace charging Uhlans. Many of them ended their careers tangled among the wreckage of their 'bikes.' The author of this book has written a thrilling first hand account of his experiences riding military motorcycles along the front lines during the early stages of the First World War. Later as an officer he took command of a unit of 'buzzers,' whose job it was to maintain telephone links. A highly entertaining book and thoroughly recommended to all those interested in motorcycles, motorcycling and the Great War in Europe."-Print ed.
The Daring Dozen: 12 Special Forces Legends of World War II
by Gavin MortimerIn this new book, Gavin Mortimer reveals the 12 legendary Special Forces commanders of World War II. Prior to the war, the concept of 'special forces' simply didn't exist, but thanks to visionary leaders like David Stirling and Charles Hunter, our very concept of how wars can be fought and won has totally changed. These 12 men not only reshaped military policy, but they led from the front, accompanying their troops into battle, from the sands of North Africa to jumping on D-Day and infiltrating behind enemy lines. Mortimer also offers a skilful analysis of their qualities as military commanders and the true impact that their own personal actions, as well as those of their units, had on the eventual outcome of the war.
The Dark Age of Tanks: Britain's Lost Armour, 1945–1970
by David ListerA British tank historian sheds new light on the UK’s Cold War era research and development of cutting-edge military vehicles and anti-tank weaponry.In the thirty years after the Second World War, the British army entered a period of intense technological development. Yet, due to the lack of surviving documentation, comparatively little is known about this period. What does survive, however, reveals the British Army’s struggle to use cutting edge technology to create weapons that could crush the Soviet Union's armed forces, all the while fighting against the demands of Her Majesty's Treasury.On this journey, the Army entertained ideas such as massive 183mm anti-tank guns, devastating rocket artillery, colossal anti-tank guided missiles, and micro-tanks operable by crews of only two. At one point, they were on the cusp of building hover tanks. This book explores a time period of increasing importance in military engineering history and brings much-needed light to the dark age of British tanks.
The Dark Clouds Shining (A Jack McColl Novel #4)
by David DowningIn the fourth and final installment of David Downing’s spy series, Jack McColl is sent to Soviet Russia, where the civil war is coming to an end. The Bolsheviks have won but the country is in ruins. With the hopes engendered by the revolution hanging by a thread, plots and betrayals abound.London, 1921: Ex–Secret Service spy Jack McColl is in prison serving time for assaulting a cop. McColl has been embittered by the Great War; he feels betrayed by the country that had sent so many young men to die needlessly. He can’t stomach spying for the British Empire anymore. He’s also heartbroken. The love of his life, radical journalist Caitlin Hanley, parted ways with him three years earlier so she could offer her services to the Communist revolution in Moscow.Then his former Secret Service boss offers McColl the chance to escape his jail sentence if he takes a dangerous and unofficial assignment in Russia, where McColl is already a wanted man. He would be spying on other spies, sniffing out the truth about MI5 meddling in a high-profile assassination plot. The target is someone McColl cares about and respects. The MI5 agent involved is someone he loathes. With the knowledge that he may be walking into a death trap, McColl sets out for Moscow, the scene of his last heartbreak. Little does he know that his mission will throw him back into Caitlin’s life—or that her husband will be one of the men he is trying to hunt down.
The Dark Edge of Night: A Henri Lefort Mystery (Henri Lefort Mysteries #2)
by Mark Pryor“Sharp eyed and sharp mouthed police detective”* Henri Lefort, is determined to solve homicides and uncover any German conspiracies threatening France—in Mark Pryor’s next World War II mystery, The Dark Edge of Night.Winter 1940: With soldiers parading down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Nazi flags dangling from the Arc de Triomphe, and the Eiffel Tower defaced with German propaganda, Parisians have little to celebrate as Christmas approaches. Police Inspector Henri Lefort’s wishes for a quiet holiday season are dashed when the Gestapo orders him to investigate the disappearance of Dr. Viktor Brandt, a neurologist involved in a secret project at one of Paris’s hospitals.Being forced onto a missing persons case for the enemy doesn’t deter Henri from conducting his real job. A Frenchman has been beaten to death in what appears to be a botched burglary, and catching a killer is more important than locating a wayward scientist. But when Henri learns that the victim’s brother is a doctor who worked at the same hospital as the missing German, his investigation takes a disturbing turn.Uncovering a relationship between the two men—one that would not be tolerated by the Third Reich—Henri must tread carefully. And when he discovers that Dr. Brandt’s experimental work is connected to groups of children being taken from orphanages, Henri risks bringing the wrath of both the SS and the Gestapo upon himself and everyone he loves.*New York Times bestselling author Cara Black
The Dark Game: True Spy Stories
by Paul B. JaneczkoFrom clothesline codes to surveillance satellites and cyber espionage, Paul B. Janeczko uncovers two centuries' worth of true spy stories in U. S. history. Ever since George Washington used them to help topple the British, spies and their networks have helped and hurt America at key moments in history. In this fascinating collection, Paul B. Janeczko probes such stories as that of Elizabeth Van Lew, an aristocrat whose hatred of slavery drove her to be one of the most successful spies in the Civil War; the "Choctaw code talkers," Native Americans who were instrumental in sending secret messages during World War I; the staggering engineering behind a Cold War tunnel into East Berlin to tap Soviet phones (only to be compromised by a Soviet mole); and many more famous and less-known examples. Colorful personalities, daring missions, the feats of the loyal, and the damage of traitors are interspersed with a look at the technological advances that continue to change the rules of gathering intelligence.
The Dark Imbalance (Evergence #3)
by Sean Williams Shane DixThe ruins of Sol System have been empty for thousands of years. A place of death and mystery, it is shunned by all--until now. DEADLINE TO DESTRUCTION: Renegade intelligence agent Morgan Roche arrives hot on the heels of the clone warriors--enemies she has been charged by the High Humans to stop before they destroy everything. What she finds--the largest fleet assembled in half a million years, with no central authority, no-one in charge--threatens to stretch her resources beyond their limit. There, under the light of the star called Sol, Morgan Roche will uncover the final truth about the AI called The Box, about the man called Adoni Cane, and about the High Human called the Crescend. That truth will cost her dearly… &“Space opera of the ambitious, galaxy-spanning sort&” --New York Review of SF &“Space opera, like its grand musical cousin, couldn't exist without duplicity, ambition, lust, stupidity, and greed, and by the time the fat lady sings, whole worlds can be laid waste - and, oddly enough, it's this recognition of pain and evil as the generating forces of adventure that make A Dark Imbalance so satisfying.&” --Locus &“A story that twists and turns back on itself and keeps the reader always off-balance. There is danger, adventure and a labyrinth of loyalties. Excellent.&” --SF Site Winner of the Aurealis Award. (Formerly published as A DARK IMBALANCE)
The Dark Invader: Wartime Reminiscences Of A German Naval Intelligence Officer
by A. E. W. Mason Captain Franz von RintelenMen engaged in Intelligence Services during a war divide their particular opponents into two classes. One consists of neutrals who go out of their way to help the enemy for the sake of gain; and for such men we have not much compassion should they fall upon misfortune. They are interfering in great matters with which they are not concerned, in order to make a little money. The other class is made up of men who, abandoning the opportunities of their own careers, go secretly away in the sacred service of their country, play a lone hand, and run the gauntlet of foreign laws. For such we can have nothing but respect while the fight is going on and friendship when it is over.Captain Franz von Rintelen belongs to this latter class. A young naval officer with every likelihood of reaching to high rank, he went abroad in 1915 and only saw his own country again after the lapse of six strenuous and, in part, unhappy years. The history of those years is told in this book. The conversations which he records depend, of course, upon his memory; the main facts we are able to check, and we know them to be exact.The book is written, as one would expect from his record, without the least rancour, and I think I am not trenching upon the province of criticism when I add--with admirable simplicity. It is a record which is more detailed and concerned with endeavours on a vastly wider scale than is usual in such accounts. One cannot, I think, read it without recognising, apart from the magnitude of the things attempted and done, the terrific strain under which he lived; and this gives a moving and human quality to the narrative which sets it a little apart from any other which I have read. Those who are most saturated in spy stories will find much to surprise them in this volume, and they will not be likely to forget the poignant minutes which he spent on the top of an omnibus in London and the way in which those minutes ended.Finally, here is as good an argument against War as a man could find in twenty volumes devoted to that subject alone.
The Dark Library: A Novel
by Mary Anna Evans"Evans delivers an elaborate historical mystery...fans of gothic suspense will be delighted."—Publishers Weekly"A fascinating and intelligent WWII home front story." —Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author for The Physicists' DaughterCan a family's dark history repeat itself?Estella Ecker has returned to Rockfall House, the last place on earth she wants to be. Years after she ran away from her overbearing father, she has been forced back home to walk in his footsteps, teaching at the college he dominated and living in the fabulous home where he entertained artists and scholars for decades—and perhaps she owns it now, because her mercurial mother has disappeared. At the center of everything—the whispers, the rumors, the secrets—is her father's library of rare books, which she had been forbidden to touch while he was alive to stop her.Everyone in town is watching Estella, with her dead father's name on their lips, and no one seems to care about her missing mother. Who were her parents, really, and is the answer hidden somewhere in the depths of Rockfall House? And who will Estella be, if she gathers enough courage to find that answer? What she will discover is that no one can escape the secrets hidden in this dark library.Suspenseful and unsettling but ultimately triumphant, The Dark Library by acclaimed author Mary Anna Evans is a compelling tale of mystery, family secrets, and the quest for truth.
The Dark Lord (Oath of Empire)
by Thomas HarlanTom Harlan brings his Oath of Empire series to a shattering conclusion in The Dark Lord. In what would be the 7th Century AD in our history, the Roman Empire still stands, supported by the twin pillars of the Legions and Thaumaturges of Rome. The Emperor of the West, the Augustus Galen Atreus, came to the aid of the Emperor of the East, the Avtokrator Heraclius, in his war with the Sassanad Emperor of Persia. But despite early victories, that war has not gone well, and now Rome is hard-pressed. Constantinople has fallen before the dark sorceries of the Lord Dahak and his legions of the living and dead. Now the new Emperor of Persia marches on Egypt, and if he takes that ancient nation, Rome will be starved and defeated.But there is a faint glimmer of hope. The Emperor Galen's brother Maxian is a great sorcerer, perhaps the equal of Dahak, lord of the seven serpents. He is now firmly allied with his Imperial brother and Rome. And though they are caught tight in the Dark Lord's net of sorcery, Queen Zoe of Palmyra and Lord Mohammed have not relinquished their souls to evil.Powerful, complex, engrossing --Thomas Harlan's Oath of Empire series has taken fantasy readers by storm. The first three volumes, The Shadow of Ararat, The Gate of Fire, and The Storm of Heaven have been universally praised.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
The Dark Lord of Oklahoma: An Unconventional Story
by Ethan RichardsOrcs. Elves. AK47s. Modern-Day Oklahoma. Elena Doolin thought she had a normal life. She was a cellist, a music educator, and a citizen of Henryetta, Oklahoma. But when she is abducted by a threat group composed of high-fantasy creatures known only as the Sons, she realizes she plays a critical part in the future of Oklahoma. Now it is up to a crusty group of Vets, misfits, ad outcasts, to stop the threat that has abducted Elena, and is planning a town-by-town campaign to gain control of the Panhandle State. Will this group of Nomads be successful? Or will the Dark Lord reign over the Sooner State? #urbanfantasy #ruralfantasy #steampunk #rockabilly #okieorcs #dwarves
The Dark Mile (The Jacobite Trilogy #3)
by D. K. BrosterSet during the 1745 Jacobite era, this is the third and final instalment of D. K. Broster's trilogy. First published in 1929, The Dark Mile is the sequel to The Flight of the Heron (1925) and The Gleam in the North (1927), completing the picture of a close-knit community embroiled in a civil war.At the centre of the story are the intersecting fortunes of two men, who at first glance seem almost complete opposites: Ewen Cameron, a young Highland laird in the service of the Prince, is dashing, sincere, and idealistic, while Major Keith Windham, a professional soldier in the opposing English army, is cynical, world-weary, and profoundly lonely. When a second-sighted Highlander tells Ewen that the flight of a heron will lead to five meetings with an Englishman who is fated both to do him a great service and to cause him great grief, Ewen refuses to believe it.But as Bonnie Prince Charlie's ill-fated campaign winds to its bitter end, the prophecy is proven true--and through many dangers and trials, Ewen and Keith find that they have one thing indisputably in common: both of them are willing to sacrifice everything for honour's sake...Adapted for BBC Radio in 1961, this is an unmissable read to complete your collection!
The Dark Palace (Detective Silas Quinn Mysteries #3)
by R. N. MorrisA police inspector investigates a grisly murder at a movie premiere in this dark historical mystery set in pre–World War I London. London, April 1914. Against his better judgement, Detective Inspector Silas Quinn is attending the premiere of the new motion picture by notorious American film-maker Konrad Waechter. But the glamorous event is interrupted by the piercing screams of a young woman in the street outside. She has been viciously mutilated in a horrific accident which eerily echoes a macabre act of violence in Waechter&’s film. As he questions those who attended the premiere, Quinn&’s jaundiced view of the fledgling film industry as a business based on pretense, where no one is what they seem, appears to be justified. But soon the investigation takes a disturbing twist that has him questioning everything he thought he knew . . . An excellent choice for fans of C. J. Sansom, Rory Clements and S. G. MacLean.Praise for The Dark Palace &“Stellar. . . . [Quinn&’s] most bizarre case yet. . . . Ruth Rendell fans open to stories set a century ago will be well satisfied.&” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)&“A lively cast of supporting characters . . . adds Dickensian zest. Quinn&’s third case . . . benefits greatly from Morris&’ colorful period-flavor prose.&” —Kirkus Reviews
The Dark Path: The Structure of War and the Rise of the West
by Williamson MurrayFrom an esteemed military historian, a sweeping history of the revolutions in war-fighting that have shaped the modern world Heraclitus wrote that &“war is the father of all,&” and it has formed much of the modern world. Although the fundamental nature of war has not altered over the centuries, constant change, innovation, and adaptation have repeatedly reshaped how wars are fought in the West. Revolutions in military practice cannot be separated from larger social developments in areas like logistics, finance and economics, and the culture of military organizations. In The Dark Path, Williamson Murray argues that the history of warfare in the West hinged on five revolutions, which both reflected the social, political, and economic conditions that produced them and in turn influenced how those conditions evolved. These five key turning points are the advent of the modern state, which formed bureaucracies and professional militaries; the Industrial Revolution, which produced the financial and industrial means to sustain and equip large armies; the French Revolution, which provided the ideological basis needed to sustain armies through continent-sized wars; the merging of the Industrial and French Revolutions in the U.S. Civil War; and the accelerating integration of technological advancement, financial capacity, ideology, and government that unleashed the modern capacity for total warfare. An ambitious work of synthesis, this book shows how the world continually re-creates war—and how war, in turn, continually re-creates the world.
The Dark Side of the Island
by Jack HigginsA former WWII intelligence agent searches for redemption in this thriller by the New York Times–bestselling author of The Midnight Bell. It&’s been nearly twenty years since Hugh Lomax set foot on the Greek island of Kyros. During World War II, British Intelligence sent him there on a mission to take out a high-tech German radar station. Aided by the local resistance, he succeeded—but was also captured and spent the rest of the war imprisoned. Now, he&’s returned. But he is far from welcome. When he reunites with someone he thought an old friend, the man threatens to kill him. The local authorities make it clear that he should leave and never come back. Because although he thought he had helped save Kyros, Lomax soon learns that his former comrades believe he turned traitor in captivity—a betrayal that cost many lives. Unwilling to live with the betrayal, Lomax must delve into the violent past and dig into the unfamiliar present to find the man who stained his name with the blood of his friends. But this secret enemy is still watching his every move, waiting to silence him forever . . . Written before his novel The Eagle Has Landed took the world by storm, Jack Higgins&’s adventure of war and treachery showcases his absolute mastery of combining plot, action, and vividly drawn characters into the perfect thriller.
The Dark Side of the Sky: The Story of a Young Jewish Airman in Nazi Germany
by Harry LevyThis book tells the story of a young Jewish airman who was shot down over Belgium and then captured by the Germans. It tells of his life as a suspected spy and POW.
The Dark Side of the Sun: A Novel
by Elizabeth PalmerGrowing up as the governess's daughter in the shadow of the Harding family's eccentric charm, Mary Fox can never hope to share their unshakable social confidence. Beautiful Godfrey, outrageous Nettie, and the twins, Jonathan and William, are born into a world of privilege where money, status, pleasure and love seem their birthright. Although aware of the disparity between them, Mary clings to the illusion of family that sharing a life with them brings--for her own mother, the secretive, mysterious Sybil, is most definitely not the maternal type.When the idyll is shattered by the outbreak of war, Mary and Nettie are forced to find their own, very individual ways of making ends meet. Mary finds her formidable intelligence valued for the first time, but Nettie has a much more unusual way of helping the brave boys fighting Hitler...In The Dark Side of the Sun, Elizabeth Palmer brings all her sharp wit and brilliant observation to bear, combining glittering lifestyles, potent sensuality and dark secrets in a poignant and compelling story of love and the art of survival.
The Dark Valley: A Commissario Soneri Investigation
by Valerio VaresiCommissario Soneri returns home for a hard-earned autumn holiday, hoping to spend a few days mushroom picking on the slopes of Montelupo. This isolated village relies on the salame factory founded in the post-war years by Palmiro Rodolfi, and now run by his son, Paride. On arrival, Soneri is greeted by anxious rumours about the factory's solvency and the younger Rodolfi's whereabouts. Not long afterwards, a decomposing body is found in the woods. In the shadow of Montelupo, carabinieri prepare to apprehend their chief suspect - an ageing woodsman who defended the same mountains from S.S. commandos during the war.
The Dark Valley: A Commissario Soneri Investigation
by Valerio VaresiCommissario Soneri returns home for a hard-earned autumn holiday, hoping to spend a few days mushroom picking on the slopes of Montelupo. This isolated village relies on the salame factory founded in the post-war years by Palmiro Rodolfi, and now run by his son, Paride. On arrival, Soneri is greeted by anxious rumours about the factory's solvency and the younger Rodolfi's whereabouts. Not long afterwards, a decomposing body is found in the woods. In the shadow of Montelupo, carabinieri prepare to apprehend their chief suspect - an ageing woodsman who defended the same mountains from S.S. commandos during the war.
The Darkening Sea
by Richard WoodmanFrom the clash of mighty battleships at Jutland in 1916 to the cold splendor of the present-day Arctic, The Darkening Sea is a modern seafaring epic that traces the fortunes of the Martin family throughout nearly seventy years of British maritime history.James and John Martin see varied action from service on battle-cruisers in the North Sea during the Great War to cargo-passenger ships on the exploited coast of 1930s China; from the war of corvette vs. U-boats in the North Atlantic to the long slog of Pacific Fleet protection in a WWII destroyer. Along the way, they find love, disillusion, and fulfillment. The women in their lives—sisters, wives, and lovers—also have their own ambitions in an ever-changing world.
The Darkest Christmas: December 1942 and a World at War
by Peter HarmsenDecember 1942 saw the bloodiest Christmas in the history of mankind. From the islands in the Pacific to the China front, from the trenches in Russia to the battlelines in North Africa, in the skies over Europe and in the depths of the Atlantic, men were killing each other in greater numbers than ever before. The Holocaust continued, and innocent civilians were murdered by the thousands throughout the evil Nazi empire, even as the perpetrators celebrated the birth of Christ. At the same time as the slaughter continued unabatedly, throughout the world there were random acts of kindness, born out of an instinctive feeling of the essential brotherhood of man. These gestures also straddled religious barriers and sometimes included those of non-Christian faiths. Even some Japanese, otherwise embarked on a self declared crusade against the West, relented for a few precious hours in acknowledgment of the holiday. <p><p> At the same time, Christmas 1942 saw the injunction of “good will to man” distorted in ugly and callous ways. At Auschwitz, SS guards played cruel games with their prisoners. In Berlin, the German heart of darkness, Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels spent time with his family while still buried in feverish fantasies about the Jewish world conspiracy. Christmas 1942 saw the entire range of man’s conduct towards his fellow man, reflecting the extremes of behavior, good and bad, that World War Two gave rise to. The way the holiday was marked around the world tells a deeper and more universal story of the human condition in extraordinary times.