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The Secret History of Soviet Russia's Police State: Cruelty, Co-operation and Compromise, 1917–91
by Martyn Whittock'[R]eadable and thoughtful . . . does an excellent job of exploring how the murderous political police in all its incarnations defined the Soviet Union, and left a poisonous legacy still with us today'Professor Mark Galeotti, author of The Vory and A Short History of RussiaRepression, control, manipulation and elimination of enemies assisted in the establishment of the Soviet state, and helped maintain it in power, but could not, in the end, prevent its collapse.Citizens of the West have, for the most part, been told a very simplified story of the repressive 'totalitarian' state that was the USSR. In fact, it was sustained by more than just policing and force. No amount of revisionist history can erase the reality of millions controlled, imprisoned and killed, but there was much more to the USSR's one-party state than this. Whittock tells a more complex story of the combination of cruelty, co-operation and compromise required to build and run a one-party state. Much of this is the story of the role played by the secret police in creating and sustaining such a form of government, but it is much more than simply a 'history of the secret police'. This is because the 'police state' which emerged (in which dissent, both real and imaginary, was undoubtedly policed, threatened and ruthlessly eliminated) was more than just the product of the arrests, interrogations, executions and imprisonments carried out by the secret police. The USSR was also made possible by a battle for hearts and minds which led millions of people to feel that they really had benefited from the system and had a stake in the new society.
The Secret History of the Mongols
by Christopher P. AtwoodA new translation of a great historical epic, recounting the turbulent life and times of Chinggis Khan'Bear the sword andHew asunder high and haughty necksSlash apart all strong and self-willed shoulders'Born poor into a world of dangers and hardships, Chinggis (or Genghis) Khan would grow up to unify Mongolia and conquer a vast empire stretching from modern-day Beijing to Baghdad. The Secret History of the Mongols, written after Chinggis's death in the thirteenth century, is a great historical saga recounting not only his turbulent life and times, but that of his loved ones, ancestors and heirs. This remarkable new translation of the earliest surviving work written in Mongolian gives insight into a world of warlords, kinship, horses, yurts, shamans and vast landscapes, where bloody battles and violent family conflicts are impelled by Heaven's destiny.Translated with an introduction by Christopher P. Atwood
The Secret History of the Roman Roads of Britain: And Their Impact on Military History
by M.C. BishopThere have been many books on Britain's Roman roads, but none have considered in any depth their long-term strategic impact. Mike Bishop shows how the road network was vital not only in the Roman strategy of conquest and occupation, but influenced the course of British military history during subsequent ages. The author starts with the pre-Roman origins of the network (many Roman roads being built over prehistoric routes) before describing how the Roman army built, developed, maintained and used it. Then, uniquely, he moves on to the post-Roman history of the roads. He shows how they were crucial to medieval military history (try to find a medieval battle that is not near one) and the governance of the realm, fixing the itinerary of the royal progresses. Their legacy is still clear in the building of 18th century military roads and even in the development of the modern road network. Why have some parts of the network remained in use throughout?The text is supported with clear maps and photographs. Most books on Roman roads are concerned with cataloguing or tracing them, or just dealing with aspects like surveying. This one makes them part of military landscape archaeology.
The Secret Keeper
by Genevieve GrahamFrom USA TODAY and internationally bestselling author Genevieve Graham comes a gripping World War II novel about two sisters who join the war effort—one as a codebreaker and the other as a pilot—and the secrets that threaten to tear them apart. Perfect for fans of The Rose Code and The Nightingale.Twin sisters Dot and Dash Wilson share many things, and while they are practically inseparable, they are nothing alike. Dot is fascinated by books, puzzles, and Morse code, a language taught to both girls by their father, a WWI veteran. Dash&’s days are filled with fixing engines, dancing with friends, and dreaming of flying airplanes. Almost always at their side is their best friend Gus—until war breaks out and he enlists in the army, deploying to an unknown front. Determined to do their duty, both girls join the WRENS, Dash as a mechanic and Dot as a typist. Before long, Dot&’s fixation on patterns and numbers takes her from HMCS Coverdale, a covert listening and codebreaking station working with Bletchley Park in England, to Camp X, a top-secret spy school. But when personal tragedy strikes the family, Dot&’s oath of secrecy causes a rift between the sisters. Eager to leave her pain behind, Dash jumps at the opportunity to train as a pilot with the Air Transport Auxiliary, where she risks her life to ferry aircraft and troops across the battlefields of Europe. Meanwhile Dot is drawn into the Allies&’ preparations for D-Day. But Dot&’s loyalties are put to the test once more when someone close to her goes missing in Nazi-occupied territory. With everyone&’s eyes on Operation Overlord, Dot must use every skill at her disposal to save those she loves before it&’s too late. Inspired by the real-life stories of women in World War II, The Secret Keeper is an extraordinary novel about the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood and the light of courage during the darkest of nights.
The Secret Keeper: A Novel (Center Point Platinum Fiction (large Print) Ser.)
by Kate MortonFrom the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of Homecoming, The Distant Hours, The Forgotten Garden, and The House at Riverton comes a spellbinding novel of family secrets, murder, and enduring love. During a picnic at her family&’s farm in the English countryside, sixteen-year-old Laurel Nicolson witnesses a shocking crime, a crime that challenges everything she knows about her adored mother, Dorothy. Now, fifty years later, Laurel and her sisters are meeting at the farm to celebrate Dorothy&’s ninetieth birthday. Realizing that this is her last chance to discover the truth about that long-ago day, Laurel searches for answers that can only be found in Dorothy&’s past. Clue by clue, she traces a secret history of three strangers from vastly different worlds thrown together in war-torn London—Dorothy, Vivien, and Jimmy—whose lives are forever after entwined. A gripping story of deception and passion, The Secret Keeper will keep you enthralled to the last page.
The Secret King
by Michael Moynihan Stephen E. FlowersThe Secret King is the first book to explode many myths surrounding the popular idea of Nazi occultism, while presenting the actual esoteric rituals used by Heinrich Himmler's SS under the influence of rune magician Karl-Maria Wiligut, the "Secret King of Germany." Stephen E. Flowers, PhD, is a prolific writer and translator in the fields of runology and the history of occultism. He is also the author of books on magical runic traditions under the pen name Edred Thorsson. Michael Moynihan co-authored the best-selling, award-winning book Lords of Chaos. He also co-edits the esoteric journal Tyr.
The Secret Language of Stones: A Novel (The Daughters of La Lune #2)
by M. J. RoseAs World War I rages and the Romanov dynasty reaches its sudden, brutal end, a young jewelry maker discovers love, passion, and her own healing powers in this “dazzling” (Library Journal, starred review) and romantic ghost story, the perfect follow-up to M. J. Rose’s “brilliantly crafted” (Providence Journal) novel The Witch of Painted Sorrows.Nestled within Paris’s historic Palais Royal is a jewelry store unlike any other. La Fantasie Russie is owned by Pavel Orloff, protégé to the famous Faberge, and is known to the city’s fashion elite as the place to find the rarest of gemstones and the most unique designs. But in the summer of 1918, war has transformed Paris from a city of style and romance to a place of fear and mourning. It is in La Fantasie Russie’s workshop that young, ambitious Opaline Duplessi now spends her time making trench watches for soldiers at the front, as well as mourning jewelry for the mothers, wives, and lovers of those who have fallen. People say that Opaline’s creations are magical. Magic is a word Opaline would rather not use, although even she can't deny she possesses a rare gift. Certain gemstones enable her to receive messages from beyond the grave. In her mind, she is no mystic, merely a messenger, giving voice to soldiers who died before they were able to properly express themselves to loved ones. Until one day, when one of these fallen soldiers communicates a message—directly to her. So begins a dangerous journey that will take Opaline into the darkest corners of wartime Paris and across the English Channel, where the exiled Romanov dowager empress is waiting to discover the fate of her family. Full of romance, seduction, and a love so powerful it reaches beyond the grave, The Secret Language of Stones is a “fantastic historical tale of war, love, loss, and intrigue, enhanced by vivid period detail” (Melanie Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of The Aviator’s Wife).
The Secret Letters: A heartbreaking story of love and loss
by Catherine LawA truth buried for over forty years. A love that lasted a lifetime.Rose Pepper has kept her wartime past a secret for decades. Forty years ago, she fled communist Prague and left behind the love of her life. Now in her sixties and with two daughters, Rose discovers a bundle of unopened letters sent to her by her lost lover, hidden beneath her home. Confronted with the possibility of facing up to her past, she decides it's finally time to go back to where her story began and uncover the truth buried for so long in Prague.
The Secret Life of Fighter Command: Testimonials from the Men and Women Who Beat the Luftwaffe
by Sinclair McKay“Bring[s] alive the all-engulfing drama of 1940, as Hitler’s Luftwaffe attempted to establish air superiority over England. . . . Poetry and sharp politics.” —The TimesDuring the dark days of 1940, when Britain faced the might of Hitler’s armed forces alone, the RAF played an integral role in winning the Battle of Britain against the Luftwaffe, thus ensuring the country’s safety from invasion. The men and women of Fighter Command worked tirelessly in air bases scattered throughout the length and breadth of Britain to thwart the Nazi attacks; The Secret Life of Fighter Command tells their story.From setting up the ground-breaking radar systems along the coast of the Southeast of England, to the distribution of spotters of bombing waves coming along the Thames Estuary, the boffins who designed and built the guidance and detection structures to organize a winning defense umbrella, to the Wrens who plotted enemy movements and then conveyed this to the various RAF squadrons stationed in the UK’s zonal defense system—all of them played a part in maintaining the security over Britain. Through exclusive interviews with various members of this unique and world famous organization, bestselling author Sinclair McKay tells the human story of how Britain survived the Nazi onslaught and enabled our Hurricanes and Spitfires to triumph over the German air force.
The Secret Life of an American Codebreaker: Codebreaker Girls
by Jan SlimmingThe tale of a college student&’s top-secret life: &“A welcome addition to the seldom told story of the role of American women in [WWII] codebreaking.&” —The Spectrum Monitor The Secret Life of an American Codebreaker is the true account of Janice Martin, a college student recruited to the military in 1943 after she was secretly approached by a professor at Goucher College, a liberal arts establishment for women in Baltimore, Maryland. Destined for a teaching career, Janice became a prestigious professor of classics at Georgia State University, but how did she spend three years of her secret life during the war working in Washington D.C.&’s Top Secret Intelligence? Why was she chosen? How was she chosen? What did she do? This intriguing biography also delves into the stories of several other World War II codebreakers, male and female. With extensive research, unpublished photographs, and recorded interviews, we discover the life of Janice Martin from Baltimore and her Top Secret Ultra role in helping to combat U-boats in the Battle of the Atlantic, work she and her colleagues undertook in a foundation provided by both British and American intelligence. From the early days to D-Day and beyond, the book reveals the hidden figures who were part of this incredible time in history.
The Secret Lives of Codebreakers: The Men and Women Who Cracked the Enigma Code at Bletchley Park
by Sinclair MckayA remarkable look at day-to-day life of the codebreakers whose clandestine efforts helped win World War II Bletchley Park looked like any other sprawling country estate. In reality, however, it was the top-secret headquarters of Britain’s Government Code and Cypher School—and the site where Germany’s legendary Enigma code was finally cracked. There, the nation’s most brilliant mathematical minds—including Alan Turing, whose discoveries at Bletchley would fuel the birth of modern computing—toiled alongside debutantes, factory workers, and students on projects of international importance. Until now, little has been revealed about ordinary life at this extraordinary facility. Drawing on remarkable first-hand interviews, The Secret Lives of Codebreakers reveals the entertainments, pastimes, and furtive romances that helped ease the incredible pressures faced by these covert operatives as they worked to turn the tide of World War II. .
The Secret Lives of Codebreakers: The Men and Women Who Cracked the Enigma Code at Bletchley Park
by Sinclair MckayINTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERGo behind the scenes of the top-secret setting of The Imitation GameA remarkable look at day-to-day life of the codebreakers whose clandestine efforts helped win World War IIBletchley Park looked like any other sprawling country estate. In reality, however, it was the top-secret headquarters of Britain's Government Code and Cypher School--and the site where Germany's legendary Enigma code was finally cracked. There, the nation's most brilliant mathematical minds--including Alan Turing, whose discoveries at Bletchley would fuel the birth of modern computing--toiled alongside debutantes, factory workers, and students on projects of international importance. Until now, little has been revealed about ordinary life at this extraordinary facility. Drawing on remarkable first-hand interviews, The Secret Lives of Codebreakers reveals the entertainments, pastimes, and furtive romances that helped ease the incredible pressures faced by these covert operatives as they worked to turn the tide of World War II.From the Trade Paperback edition.
The Secret Pilgrim: A Novel
by John Le Carré#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Intriguing . . . magisterial . . . The many ingredients are skillfully marshaled. . . . Lucidly and elegantly controlled.”—The New York Times Book Review The rules of the game, and of the world, have changed. Old enemies now yield to glasnost and perestroika. The killing shadows of the Cold War are flooded with light. The future is unfathomable. To train new spies for this uncertain future, one must show them the past. Enter the man called Ned, the loyal and shrewd veteran of the Circus. With the inspiration of his inscrutable mentor George Smiley, Ned thrills all as he recounts forty exhilarating years of Cold War espionage across Europe and the Far East—an electrifying, clandestine tour of honorable old knights and notorious traitors, triumph and failure, passion and hate, suspicion, sudden death, and old secrets that haunt us still. Praise for The Secret Pilgrim “Scorching . . . fascinating . . . seductive . . . a dazzler.”—Entertainment Weekly “Powerful . . . a highly absorbing tale.”—Newsday “Extraordinary.”—USA Today
The Secret Project Notebook
by Carolyn ReederMoving with his parents to a remote New Mexico location in the 1940s, eleven-year-old Fritz becomes suspicious about his father's secret work and begins to keep notes about events unfolding at the end of World War II.
The Secret Purposes
by David BaddielTHE SECRET PURPOSES, David Baddiel's third novel, takes us into a little-known and still somewhat submerged area of British history: the internment of German Jewish refugees on the Isle of Man during the Second World War. Isaac Fabian, on the run with his young family from Nazism in East Prussia, comes to Britain assuming he has found asylum, but instead finds himself drowning in the morass of ignorance, half-truth, prejudice, and suspicion that makes up government attitudes to German Jews in 1940. One woman, June Murray, a translator from the Ministry of Information, stands out - and when she comes to the island on a personal mission to uncover solid evidence of Nazi atrocities, her meeting with Isaac will have far-reaching consequences for both of them. A haunting and beautifully written tale of love, displacement and survival, THE SECRET PURPOSES profoundly questions the way that truth - both personal and political - emerges from the tangle of history.
The Secret Purposes
by David BaddielTHE SECRET PURPOSES, David Baddiel's third novel, takes us into a little-known and still somewhat submerged area of British history: the internment of German Jewish refugees on the Isle of Man during the Second World War. Isaac Fabian, on the run with his young family from Nazism in East Prussia, comes to Britain assuming he has found asylum, but instead finds himself drowning in the morass of ignorance, half-truth, prejudice, and suspicion that makes up government attitudes to German Jews in 1940. One woman, June Murray, a translator from the Ministry of Information, stands out - and when she comes to the island on a personal mission to uncover solid evidence of Nazi atrocities, her meeting with Isaac will have far-reaching consequences for both of them. A haunting and beautifully written tale of love, displacement and survival, THE SECRET PURPOSES profoundly questions the way that truth - both personal and political - emerges from the tangle of history.
The Secret Rescue: An Untold Story of American Nurses and Medics Behind Nazi Lines
by Cate LineberryThe compelling untold story of a group of stranded U.S. Army nurses and medics fighting to escape Nazi-occupied Europe.When 26 Army nurses and medics-part of the 807th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron-boarded a cargo plane for transport in November 1943, they never anticipated the crash landing in Nazi-occupied Albania that would lead to their months-long struggle for survival. A drama that captured the attention of the American public, the group and its flight crew dodged bullets and battled blinding winter storms as they climbed mountains and fought to survive, aided by courageous villagers who risked death at Nazi hands to help them.A mesmerizing tale of the courage and heroism of ordinary people, THE SECRET RESCUE tells not only a new story of struggle and endurance, but also one of the daring rescue attempts by clandestine American and British organizations amid the tumultuous landscape of the war.ins during a brutal winter in their efforts to escape, facing a barrage of life-threatening incidents, including a German attack that almost costs them their lives. With hunger and sickness as their constant companions, the party is haunted by the threat of capture by the Nazis. Always on the move, they hide at night with courageous villagers who share what little food they have and risk death at Nazi hands to help them, hoping for the daring rescue attempts American and British agents plan in this tumultuous landscape of war.The drama of the party captured the American public, but the details of their journey remained hidden for decades. A mesmerizing tale of the courage and bravery of ordinary people, THE SECRET RESCUE tells for the first time the whole story, of heroic struggle and endurance.
The Secret Society of Salzburg
by Renee RyanFrom the author of The Widows of Champagne, and inspired by true events, comes a gripping and heartwrenching story of two very different women united to bring light to the darkest days of World War II. London, 1933 At first glance, Austrian opera singer Elsa Mayer-Braun has little in common with the young English typist she encounters on tour. Yet she and Hattie Featherstone forge an instant connection—and strike a dangerous alliance. Using their friendship as a cover, they form a secret society with a daring goal: to rescue as many Jews as possible from Nazi persecution. Though the war&’s outbreak threatens Elsa and Hattie&’s network, their efforts attract the covert attention of the British government, offering more opportunities to thwart the Germans. But Elsa&’s growing fame as Hitler&’s favorite opera singer, coupled with her secret Jewish ancestry, make her both a weapon and a target—until her future, too, hangs in the balance. From the glamorous stages of Covent Garden and Salzburg to the horrors of Bergen-Belsen, two ordinary women swept up by the tide of war discover an extraordinary friendship—and the courage to save countless lives.
The Secret Soldier
by Diana Star HelmerMichael and Ralph are surprised to find that Hugh, the soldier who saved their lives, is not who he seems to be.
The Secret Soldier (John Wells Series #5)
by Alex BerensonJohn Wells goes undercover in Saudi Arabia in a cutting-edge novel of modern suspense from the #1 New York Times-bestselling author. John Wells may have left the CIA, but it hasn't left him. A mysterious call brings a surprise meeting with the aged monarch of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah. "My kingdom is on a precipice," he tells Wells. "Powerful factions are plotting against me, and my own family is in danger. I don't know who I can trust, but I'm told I can trust you. " Reluctantly, and with the secret blessing of the CIA, Wells goes undercover; but the more he learns, the more complicated things become, and soon he, too, is unsure whom to trust, in Saudi Arabia or Washington. One thing, however, is clear: If the conspirators prevail, it will mean more than the fall of a monarch-it may be the beginning of the final conflagration between America and Islam.
The Secret Soldier: The Story of Deborah Sampson
by Ann McgovernIn 1778, when Deborah Sampson was 18 years old, most girls her age were settling down and getting married. She wanted to travel and have adventures--even if it meant joining the army and dressing like a man! In 1782 the Revolutionary War was still going on. And no one suspected that the man in the uniform was really a woman.--From back cover
The Secret State: A History of Intelligence and Espionage
by John Hughes-WilsonA ground-breaking history of intelligence—from its classical origins to the onset of the surveillance state in the digital age—that lifts the veil of secrecy from this clandestine world. Comprehensive and authoritative, The Secret State skillfully examines the potential pitfalls of the traditional intelligence cycle; the dangerous uncertainties of spies and human intelligence; how the Cold War became an electronic intelligence war; the technical revolution that began with the use of reconnaissance photography in World War I and during the Cuban Missile Crisis; the legacy of Stalin's deliberate ignoring of vital intelligence; how signals intelligence gave America one of its greatest victories; how Wikileaks really happened; and whether 9/11 could have been avoided if America's post-Cold War intelligence agencies had adapted to the new world of international terrorism. Authoritative and analytical, Hughes-Wilson searches for hard answers and scrutinizes why crucial intelligence is so often ignored, misunderstood, or spun by politicians and seasoned generals alike. From yesterday's spies to tomorrow's cyber world, The Secret State is a fascinating and thought-provoking history of this ever-changing and ever-important subject.
The Secret That Shocked De Santis: A Forbidden Temptation Carrying The King's Pride Bound To The Tuscan Billionaire The Secret That Shocked De Santis (The Throne of San Felipe #1)
by Natalie AndersonHow is she going to tell him? Army lieutenant Stella Zambrano had the surprise of her life when a routine medical check revealed she was pregnant. Tapping into survival mode, the headstrong beauty only has two thoughts on her mind: 1. Knowing she must conceal the father's identity. 2. And wondering what it means for the career she worked so hard for? Because Stella's baby bombshell is the result of one shockingly sensual afternoon on a deserted beach with Prince Eduardo De Santis. And with an out-of-wedlock heir on the cards, Stella knows the playboy prince will demand marriage!
The Secret War (Pen & Sword Military Classics)
by Brian JohnsonA look at the scientists and technicians whose hard work off the battlefield assisted the Allied Forces in winning the World War II. Based on the BBC television documentary series of the same name, this book offers a behind-the-scenes look at the fight by the &“back room&” scientists and technicians of the Second World War, including the battles against the Luftwaffe navigational beams, the V-1 and V-2 flying bombs, the development of radar, the battle against the U-boats, countering the magnetic mine, and the breaking of the codes produced by the Enigma machines.
The Secret War Against Napoleon: Britain's Assassination Plot On The French Empreror
by Tim ClaytonThe riveting and previously unknown story of the British government’s determination to destroy Napoleon Bonaparte by any means possible. Between two assassination attempts—in 1800 and 1804—on Napoleon Bonaparte, the British government launched a propaganda campaign of unprecedented scope and intensity to persuade George III’s reluctant subjects to fight the Napoleonic War, a war to the death against one man: the Corsican usurper and tyrant. The Secret War Against Napoleon tells the story of the British government’s determination to destroy the French Emperor by any means possible. We have been taught to think of Napoleon as the aggressor—a man with an unquenchable thirst for war and glory— but what if this story masked the real truth: that the British refusal to make peace, either with revolutionary France or with the man who claimed to personify the revolution, was the reason this epic conflict continued for more than twenty years? At this pivotal moment when it wanted to consolidate its place as the premier world power, Britain was uncompromising. This dynamic historical narrative plunges the reader into the hidden underworld of Georgian politics where, faced with the terrifying prospect of revolution, the British government used bribery and coercion in an effort to kill the French leader.