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Diamondhead
by Patrick RobinsonWhen Navy SEAL Mack Bedford's fellow officers are brutally killed by Iraqi insurgents using a cruel, new, anti-tank Diamondhead missile, Mack avenges their murders by gunning down the then-unarmed attackers, ultimately getting himself court-martialed and kicked out of the Navy in the process. To make matters worse, Mack then learns that the Diamondhead missiles were sold illegally by French industrialist and infamous politician Henri Foche. Mack suspects that Foche will succeed in his campaign to become the next French president and fears that his election will promote the spread of international terrorism. In addition, Mack has a gravely ill son whose life can only be saved with an experimental and unaffordable foreign medical procedure. So when Mack is asked to help assassinate Henri Foche, he finds himself agreeing. His reward: a chance at survival for both his son and the country. But before Mack can reach Foche, a jilted mercenary group warns the Frenchman of the threat, greatly increasing the difficulty of Mack's solo assassination attempt. Can Mack track down and murder the French tyrant as he has been commissioned to do? Does he have the power to restore his reputation as a Navy SEAL? And will he be able to save his son before it's too late?
Diamondhead (Mack Bedford Military Thrillers)
by Patrick RobinsonIn order to save a life, he must take one...Navy SEAL Mack Bedford is expelled from the military after recklessly avenging the death of fellow soldiers, killed by insurgents wielding a deadly Diamondhead anti-tank missile.Then he learns the weapons were sold illegally by the infamous terrorist abetter, Henri Foche. Meanwhile, Mack has a gravely ill son whose life can only be saved by an expensive and experimental medical procedure.When Mack is asked to assassinate Foche, his hand is forced... His reward: a chance of survival, not just for his son, but for his country.But before Mack can reach his target, a jilted mercenary group intervenes. Can he succeed – and survive?A non-stop action thrill ride, Diamondhead is perfect for fans of Vince Flynn, Andy McNab and Frederick Forsyth.
Diamondhead (The Mack Bedford Military Thrillers)
by Patrick RobinsonTo save his son, an ex–Navy SEAL must take out a corrupt politician with terrorist ties in this military thriller by a #1 New York Times–bestselling author. Navy SEAL Mack Bedford is expelled from the military after recklessly avenging the death of fellow soldiers, killed by insurgents wielding a deadly Diamondhead anti-tank missile. Then he learns the weapons were sold illegally by the infamous terrorist abetter, Henri Foche. Meanwhile, Mack has a gravely ill son whose life can only be saved by an expensive and experimental medical procedure. When Mack is asked to assassinate Foche, his hand is forced . . . His reward: a chance of survival, not just for his son, but for his country. But before Mack can reach his target, a jilted mercenary group intervenes. Can he succeed—and survive? A non-stop action thrill ride perfect for fans of Vince Flynn, Andy McNab. and Frederick Forsyth.Praise for Diamondhead &“Robinson has created a likable lead character.&” —Booklist
Diamonds in Danby Walk: When tragedy strikes, an East End girl faces difficult choices...
by Pamela EvansA young girl discovers that the grass isn't always greener on the other side... Set in London's East End in the 1900s, Diamonds in Danby Walk is Pam Evans' dramatic and heartrending family saga sure to appeal to fans of Dilly Court and Annie Murray.If Ralph Jackson had not been selfishly intent on an afternoon's stolen pleasure with his East End mistress Clara that day in 1900, a great many lives would have been different - most notably that of Amy Atkins, Clara's skinny young niece. Her penniless father George wants a better start for her than the mean streets of Bethnal Green, and if he has to resort to a spot of blackmail to get it, so be it.For fear of his philandering ways coming to light, Ralph offers Amy a job at his posh West London jewellers. With her quick wits and eye for business she attracts the attention of Ralph's handsome son Clifford. But when one thing inevitably leads to another, weak-willed Clifford is quite happy to leave Amy holding the baby. He has reckoned without the powerful influence Amy's father still exerts over Ralph. An amazed Amy finds herself Mrs Clifford Jackson, but even love and gratitude do not blind her to her husband's weaknesses, and when tragedy strikes she is faced with some difficult choices...What Amazon readers are saying about Diamonds in Danby Walk: 'Lovely story''Five stars'
Diamonds in Danby Walk: When tragedy strikes, an East End girl faces difficult choices...
by Pamela EvansA young girl discovers that the grass isn't always greener on the other side... Set in London's East End in the 1900s, Diamonds in Danby Walk is Pam Evans' dramatic and heartrending family saga sure to appeal to fans of Dilly Court and Annie Murray.If Ralph Jackson had not been selfishly intent on an afternoon's stolen pleasure with his East End mistress Clara that day in 1900, a great many lives would have been different - most notably that of Amy Atkins, Clara's skinny young niece. Her penniless father George wants a better start for her than the mean streets of Bethnal Green, and if he has to resort to a spot of blackmail to get it, so be it.For fear of his philandering ways coming to light, Ralph offers Amy a job at his posh West London jewellers. With her quick wits and eye for business she attracts the attention of Ralph's handsome son Clifford. But when one thing inevitably leads to another, weak-willed Clifford is quite happy to leave Amy holding the baby. He has reckoned without the powerful influence Amy's father still exerts over Ralph. An amazed Amy finds herself Mrs Clifford Jackson, but even love and gratitude do not blind her to her husband's weaknesses, and when tragedy strikes she is faced with some difficult choices... What Amazon readers are saying about Diamonds in Danby Walk: 'Lovely story''Five stars'
Diana Palmer Soldiers of Fortune Series Books 4-6: Mercenary's Woman\The Winter Soldier\The Last Mercenary
by Diana PalmerDon't miss these three adventures in New York Times bestselling author Diana Palmer's classic Soldiers of Fortune miniseries! MERCENARY'S WOMAN "Retired" soldier of fortune Ebenezer Scott was a bad boy...hardly suitable for girl next door Sally Johnson. When sweet-natured Sally's life was put in danger, Ebenezer fought to protect her. But she dreamed of a lifetime of love in Ebenezer's arms. Could she evade his ironclad defenses to wed her beloved mercenary? THE WINTER SOLDIER Everyone in Jacobsville, Texas, steered clear of taciturn Cy Parks. That is, except spirited Lisa Monroe. To shield her from a revenge-seeking desperado, the winter soldier claimed her as his bride. Cy found himself getting possessive of this alluring woman who needed his help...but who would protect the beguiling bride from him? THE LAST MERCENARY Micah Steele was all set to retire his gun--until his sworn enemy kidnapped a woman from his past. Rescuing Callie Kirby was less daunting than trying to combat his desire for her. The trust between them shattered years before, but given a second chance, Micah only wanted to convince Callie to forget the past and surrender her heart to him--forever!
Diari d'Anna Frank
by Ana FrankAquesta és l'edició definitiva del cèlebre Diari d'Anne Frank. El seu text amplia en una quarta part les edicions anteriors i ofereix una visió completa i fidedigna de la terrible odissea viscuda durant la Segona Guerra Mundial per la família Frank Un testimoni únic sobre l'horror i la barbàrie nazi, i sobretot sobre els sentiments i les experiències viscudes per una nena jueva reclosa amb la seva família per fugir de l'Holocaust Després de la invasió d'Holanda, els Frank, comerciants jueus alemanys emigrats a Amsterdam el 1933, es van amagar de la Gestapo en una mansarda connectada a l'edifici on el pare de l'Anne tenia les seves oficines. Eren vuit persones i van romandre-hi recloses des del juny de 1942 fins a l'agost de 1944. En aquell lloc i en les més precàries condicions, l'Anne, una nena detretze anys, va escriure el seu esgarrifós Diari: un testimoni únic en el seu gènere sobre l'horror i la barbàrie nazis, i sobre els sentiments i les experiències que van viure ella mateixa i els seus acompanyants. L'Anne va morir al camp de Bergen-Belsen al març de 1945. El seu Diari no morirà mai. «D'entre tots els qui, al llarg de la història, han parlat en nom de la dignitat humana en temps de sofriment i mort, no hi ha cap veu amb més pes que la de l'Anne Frank.» John F. Kennedy
Diari d'Anna Frank
by Anne FrankAquesta és l'edició definitiva del cèlebre Diari d'Anne Frank. El seu text amplia en una quarta part les edicions anteriors i ofereix una visió completa i fidedigna de la terrible odissea viscuda durant la Segona Guerra Mundial per la família Frank Després de la invasió d'Holanda, els Frank, comerciants jueus alemanys emigrats a Amsterdam el 1933, es van amagar de la Gestapo en una mansarda connectada a l'edifici on el pare de l'Anne tenia les seves oficines. Eren vuit persones i van romandre-hi recloses des del juny de 1942 fins a l'agost de 1944.En aquell lloc i en les més precàries condicions, l'Anne, una nena de tretze anys, va escriure el seu esgarrifós Diari: un testimoni únic en el seu gènere sobre l'horror i la barbàrie nazis, i sobre els sentiments i les experiències que van viure ella mateixa i els seus acompanyants. L'Anne va morir al camp de Bergen-Belsen al març de 1945. El seu Diari no morirà mai.Un testimoni únic sobre l'horror i la barbàrie nazi, i sobretot sobre els sentiments i les experiències viscudes per una nena jueva reclosa amb la seva família per fugir de l'Holocaust. John F. Kennedy va dir...«D'entre tots els qui, al llarg de la història, han parlat en nom de la dignitat humana en temps de sofriment i mort, no hi ha cap veu amb més pes que la de l'Anne Frank.»
Diaries Volume One: Prelude to Power (The Alastair Campbell Diaries #1)
by Alastair CampbellAs Alastair Campbell said in the introduction to The Blair Years, it was always his intention to publish the full version, covering his time as spokesman and chief strategist to Tony Blair. Prelude to Power is the first of four volumes, and covers the early days of New Labour, culminating in their victory at the polls in 1997.Volume 1 details the extraordinary tensions between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown as they resolved the question as to which one should stand to become Labour leader. It shows that right from the start, relations at the top were prone to enormous strain, suspicions and accusations of betrayal. Yet it also shows the political and personal bonds that tied them together, and which made them one of the most feared and respected electoral machines anywhere in the world. A story of politics in the raw, Prelude to Power is above all an intimate, detailed portrait of the people who have done so much to shape modern history.
Diaries Volume Three: Power and Responsibility (The Alastair Campbell Diaries #3)
by Alastair CampbellPOWER AND RESPONSIBILITY is the third volume of Alastair Campbell's unique daily account of life at the centre of the Blair government. It begins amid conflict in Kosovo, and ends on September 11, 2001, a day which immediately wrote itself into the history books, changing the course of both the Bush presidency and the Blair premiership. In this volume, we see that New Labour's honeymoon is well and truly over. In addition to detailing the continuing tensions at the top, here we find graphic accounts of a variety of domestic crises: foot-and-mouth disease and protests over fuel prices which almost brought Britain to a halt. Volume Three includes Peter Mandelson's second resignation, the agonies of the Millennium Dome, and the most unexpected slow-handclapping in memory, when the Women's Institute turned against Tony Blair. Yet despite all the problems - not least the most accident-prone manifesto launch in history, complete with deputy prime minister John Prescott punching a voter - Labour won a second successive landslide election victory. That triumph is intimately recorded here, alongside the high points of this period, such as devolution to Northern Ireland and the fall of Milosevic.
Diaries Volume Two: Power and the People (The Alastair Campbell Diaries #2)
by Alastair CampbellPower & the People covers the first two years of the New Labour government, beginning with their landslide victory at the polls in 1997. This second voume of Campbell's unexpurgated diaries details the initial challenges faced by Labour as they come to power and settle into running the country. It covers an astonishing array of events and personalities, progress and setbacks, crises and scandals, as Blair and his party make the transition from opposition to office.
Diaries of War: Two Visual Accounts from Ukraine and Russia [A Graphic Novel History]
by Nora KrugPowerful graphic journalism that highlights the contrasting realities of a Ukrainian journalist and a Russian artist grappling with their own individual experiences of Russia&’s war on Ukraine—collected, edited, and illustrated by award-winning author Nora KrugImmediately after Russia began its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Nora Krug reached out to two anonymous subjects—&“K.,&” a Ukrainian journalist, and &“D.,&” a Russian artist—and began what would become a year of correspondence. Based on her weekly interviews with K. and D., Krug created this collection of illustrated accounts that chronicles two contrasting viewpoints from opposing sides of the first year in this ongoing war.With millions displaced, injured, or killed as a result of the invasion, Krug presents a look at the devastating effects on an everyday, individual level. K.&’s diary documents a year of emotional and existential distress. She experiences loss in every sense of the word: the death of those close to her, the disconnection from her family and friends, and the devastation of her country—but her account is also a story about bravery and survival in the face of dire uncertainty.In juxtaposition, D.&’s narrative details his disdain for his government&’s murderous actions and his attempts at emigrating his family abroad. He navigates his own struggle with cultural identity, guilt, and lack of action in the face of a tyrannical regime—a perspective that is necessary in challenging readers to confront the political actions of their own countries. Krug approaches Diaries of War with the immense skill and thoughtfulness required to document these two complicated experiences for the purpose of encouraging critical thinking.Published as an Op-Comic series with the Los Angeles Times, with a portion of the entries unique to this book, Diaries of War is a harrowing real-time record of an international conflict that continues to devastate countless lives.
Diario de Anne Frank (Ave Fénix Ser. #Vol. 166)
by Anne FrankEsta es la edición definitiva del célebre Diario de Anne Frank. Su texto amplía en una cuarta parte las ediciones anteriores y ofrece una visión completa y fidedigna de la terrible odisea vivida durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial por la familia Frank Un testimonio único sobre el horror y la barbarie nazi, y sobre los sentimientos y experiencias que vivió una niña judía recluida con su familia para huir del Holocausto Tras la invasión de Holanda, los Frank, comerciantes judíos alemanes emigrados a Amsterdam en 1933, se ocultaron de la Gestapo en una buhardilla anexa al edificio donde el padre de Anne tenía sus oficinas. Eran ocho personas y permanecieron recluidas desde junio de 1942 hasta agosto de 1944, fecha en que fueron detenidas y enviadas a campos de concentración. En ese lugar y en las más precarias condiciones, Anne, a la sazón una niña de trece años, escribió su estremecedor Diario: un testimonio único en su género sobre el horror y la barbarie nazi, y sobre los sentimientos y experiencias de la propia Anne y sus acompañantes. Anne murió en el campo de Bergen-Belsen en marzo de 1945. Su Diario nunca morirá. «De entre los muchos que, a lo largo de la historia, han hablado en nombre de la dignidad humana en tiempos de sufrimiento y muerte, no hay ninguna voz que tenga más peso que la de Anne Frank.» John F. Kennedy
Diario de Anne Frank (ed. actualizada)
by Anne FrankUn testimonio único sobre el horror y la barbarie nazi, y sobre los sentimientos y experiencias que vivió una niña judía recluida con su familia para huir del Holocausto. Tras la invasión de Holanda, los Frank, comerciantes judíos alemanes emigrados a Amsterdam en 1933, se ocultaron de la Gestapo en una buhardilla anexa al edificio donde el padre de Anne tenía sus oficinas. Eran ocho personas y permanecieron recluidas desde junio de 1942 hasta agosto de 1944, fecha en que fueron detenidas y enviadas a campos de concentración. En ese lugar y en las más precarias condiciones, Anne, a la sazón una niña de trece años, escribió su estremecedor Diario: un testimonio único en su género sobre el horror y la barbarie nazi, y sobre los sentimientos y experiencias de la propia Anne y sus acompañantes. Anne murió en el campo de Bergen-Belsen en marzo de 1945. Su Diario nunca morirá. «De entre los muchos que, a lo largo de la historia, han hablado en nombre de la dignidad humana en tiempos de sufrimiento y muerte, no hay ninguna voz que tenga más peso que la de Anne Frank.»John F. Kennedy
Diario de Irak
by Mario Vargas LlosaDiario de Irak recoge los reportajes y artículos de opinión que el premio Nobel Mario Vargas Llosa publicó durante 2003 sobre la guerra de Irak. Masivas protestas ciudadanas, la opinión pública mundial en contra, negativas de muchos gobiernos... nada impidió la intervención angloestadounidense en Irak. Pero tras la batalla, más allá de las ruinas, el caos y la desolación, ¿cuál es el futuro que espera a los iraquíes? Mario Vargas Llosa viajó al escenario del conflicto, habló con líderes de opinión y gente de la calle, recogió testimonios... El resultado fue una magnífica serie de reportajes publicada en el diario El País de Madrid, que ahora se recoge en este libro junto a las fotografías de Morgana Vargas Llosa que la ilustraron.
Diario de guerra
by Mariano RodríguezDiario de guerra es un estremecedor testimonio sobre los últimos días de la vida del Che Guevara. La historia la narra Dariel Alarcón Ramírez, un militar llamado también Benigno, quien luchó en la Revolución cubana al lado del Che y después lo acompañó en la campaña boliviana de 1967, donde fue uno de los tres cubanos sobrevivientes. Después de numerosas conversaciones que sostuvo con Benigno, y aprovechando la notable memoria del guerrillero, Mariano Rodríguez desarrolló una valiosa reconstrucción de la última travesía revolucionaria de Ernesto Guevara. Mientras que el célebre Diario del Che en Bolivia se ocupa sólo de las estrategias y los acontecimientos más significativos en términos militares, Benigno nos ofrece aquí la contraparte humana: por medio de un recuento de las emociones, las penurias y los esfuerzos por cumplir los sueños de libertad, logra un retrato del Che muy poco conocido hasta hoy.
Diario de una invasión
by Andrei KurkovAndrei Kurkov, uno de los novelistas más reconocidos de Ucrania y enemigo declarado de Putin, denuncia con su pluma los crímenes que está cometiendo Rusia contra su patria. «Un Bulgákov moderno [...]. Un Murakami ucraniano». Phoebe Taplin, The Guardian «Al principio no entendíamos qué era la guerra. No puedes entenderlo hasta que la escuchas y la ves». El 24 de febrero de 2022 el ejército ruso invadió Ucrania y dio comienzo a una brutal guerra. En este libro imprescindible, Andréi Kurkov narra el terrible impacto del conflicto a través de una crónica personalísima, que es, a la vez, un relato asombroso del territorio. Diario de una invasión explora la identidad nacional ucraniana a través de las historias de los ciudadanos, que resisten unidos para defender el estado democrático, liberal y diverso al que pertenecen. Durante la invasión, el pan se hornea entre los escombros y se comparte entre la gente, los heridos son trasladados a trenes de evacuación, las ancianas escapan de los pueblos —ahora ocupados— cargando con sus ruidosos gallos. Y, a pesar de todas las dificultades, la esperanza permanece: todavía nacen niños en ciudades sitiadas y los granjeros arriesgan sus vidas para trabajar una tierra atestada de explosivos enterrados y sin detonar. En este emocionante relato, Kurkov entrelaza su experiencia personal con la de otros desplazados por la guerra y las comunidades que lo han arriesgado todo para cuidar de ellos, mientras esperan, con una irrefrenable fortaleza de espíritu, poder regresar a casa algún día. La crítica ha dicho:«Aunque se basa en la cruda realidad de la guerra, Abejas grises se lee por momentos como una fábula. [...] Al leerlo, uno se sien transportado a un tiempo de una mayor inocencia».Keith Gessen, The New Yorker «Una especie de Kurt Vonnegut ucraniano».Ian Sansom, The Spectator «Kurkov en estado puro, con su talento de narrador que sabe emocionar, sorprender y situarse a la altura del ser humano».La Croix
Diario de una nazi
by Cristina García-Tornel Enrique CoperíasNingún muro puede ocultar el horror para siempre. Cracovia, 1943. Ingrid, defensora incondicional de Hitler, acaba de mudarse a Polonia en el momento de máximo esplendor del nacionalsocialismo. La clase alta alemana vive entre fiestas, grandes mansiones, lujos y despreocupación en el territorio ocupado. En los primeros días del verano, su vida se entrelaza con la de Clara, una misteriosa mujer con quien comparte las largas temporadas que sus maridos -altos cargos de Auschwitz- pasan fuera de casa. Mientras Clara intenta protegerse de su pasado, que la acecha cada vez más de cerca, Ingrid vivirá una peligrosa historia de amor. Sus ideas nazis se irán desmoronando al descubrir lo que esconden los muros y las alambradas del campo de concentración: una realidad que supera cualquier pesadilla y hará tambalearse toda su vida. A través de una narración impecablemente documentada, Diario de una nazi nos traslada al momento más infame de la historia del siglo xx desde un punto de vista muy poco habitual: el de los alemanes que quisieron cerrar los ojos ante el horror.
Diary Of Campaigns In The Peninsula For The Years 1811, 1812 And 1813
by Lieut. William SwabeyLieutenant Swabey's personal diary is a unique account of day-to-day events during the Peninsula War and the epic battles that marked this defiant campaign against Napoleon. The volume also includes Swabey's retrospective reminiscences of the war--an addition of amusing anecdotes which complement the diary. Witnessing the fierce cruelty of the Spaniards, encountering hunger and sickness, Swabey's account takes us from July 1811 to August 1813 when he was invalided home, and includes The Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, The Siege and Storm of Badajoz, The Battle of Salamanca, The Battle of Vitoria and The Siege of St. Sebastian.
Diary Of Section VIII, Of The American Field Ambulance Service
by Anon."As the quick transportation of wounded from the front to the nearest hospital is so great a factor in saving their lives, the American Ambulance Field Service was organized soon after the beginning of the war, and during the subsequent two years its achievement has fully demonstrated the value of its purpose. It has now in the field more than 300 motor ambulances. These are driven by young American volunteers, most of whom are graduates of American universities. To them has been successfully entrusted the vitally important matter of bringing the wounded in the shortest possible time from the trenches to places where the first surgical help can be given. Upon this first surgical help largely depends, naturally, the chance of the wounded surviving long enough to reach the base hospitals. These ambulances are grouped in sections of twenty to thirty cars, and attached to the French Armies. They carry wounded between the front and the Army Hospitals within the Army Zone.The French Army has cited these Sections more than twenty times for distinguished services; has conferred the Croix de Guerre, for bravery, on sixty-six members of the Service, and upon two, the Médaille Militaire, the highest honor for military valor in France."--From the American Ambulance Service Leaflet included in the book.
Diary of Colonel Israel Angell: Commanding the Second Rhode Island Continental Regiment During the American Revolution, 1778-1781
by Israel AngellIsrael Angell (August 24, 1740 - May 4, 1832) was a Continental Army officer of the American Revolutionary War.Angell served nearly throughout the entire war in Rhode Island and was successively promoted.He was appointed a major of Colonel Daniel Hitchcock's Regiment at the outbreak of the American Revolution. He served with the regiment in the Siege of Boston. When the Continental Army was reorganized on January 1, 1776, Hitchcock's Regiment was re-designated as the 11th Continental Infantry. Late in 1776, Hitchcock was appointed as a brigade commander and Angell assumed command of the regiment. The regiment was re-designated as the 2nd Rhode Island Regiment on January 1, 1777 and Angell was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the regiment. A few days later, he was promoted to colonel in command of the regiment following the death of Colonel Hitchcock on January 13, 1777.Angell served at Valley Forge in the Winter of 1777 to 1778, and in the following battles:Siege of Boston (1775)Battle of Brandywine (1777)Battle of Red Bank (1777)Battle of Monmouth (1778)Battle of Rhode Island (1778)Battle of Springfield (1780)He was particularly distinguished in the Battle of Springfield, where he withheld a key bridge from British troop advances. He received recognition correspondence for this act of heroism from George Washington and Nathanael Greene. He also served at various places in Rhode Island and New Jersey and along highlands of the Hudson River, most notably at Peekskill and West Point. He retired from the army on January 1, 1781, after the two Rhode Island regiments were consolidated into a single regiment known as the Rhode Island Regiment.—American dictionary of Biography
Diary of a Bomb Aimer: Flying with 12 Squadron in World War II
by Campbell MuirheadCampbell Muirhead kept a meticulous diary of his wartime RAF service from the day that he set forth to train as a pilot in Canada and the USA in 1942 to the end of his wartime service with 12 Squadron Bomber Command. He was unable to pass the flying course and decided to retrain as a bomber because he wished to become operational as soon as possible. The book is particularly emotive as he wrote in the common parlance of those wartime days and truly reflects the emotions, fears and feelings of those caught up in that mighty conflict. His diligent observations of life in the RAF from joining-up, crossing the Atlantic, training in the New World bring back wartime life as it really was. His descriptions of the perils of flying on bombing raids deep into the heart of Germany truly reflect the many different aspects of life in a front-line squadron in a way that can only be told by one who was there.
Diary of a Dead Man on Leave
by David DowningFrom bestselling author David Downing, master of historical espionage, comes a heart-wrenching depiction of Germany in the days leading up to World War II and the difficult choices of one man of conviction. In April 1938, a man calling himself Josef Hofmann arrives at a boarding house in Hamm, Germany, and lets a room from the widow who owns it. Fifty years later, Walter Gersdorff, the widow’s son, who was eleven years old in the spring of 1938, discovers the carefully hidden diary the boarder had kept during his stay, even though he never should have written any of its contents down. What Walter finds is a chronicle of one the most tumultuous years in German history, narrated by a secret agent on a deadly mission. Josef Hofmann was not the returned Argentinian immigrant he’d said he was—he was a communist spy under Moscow’s command trying to reconnect with remaining members of Germany’s suppressed communist party. Hofmann’s bosses believe the common workers are the only way to stop the German war machine from within. Posing as a railroad man, Hofmann sets out on his game of “Russian roulette,” approaching Hamm’s ex-party members one at a time and delicately feeling out their allegiances. He always knew his mission would most likely end in his death, and he was satisfied to make that sacrifice for the revolution if it could help stop Hitler and his abominable ideology. But as he grows close to the Gersdorffs, accidentally stepping into the role of the father Walter never had, Hofmann begins to wish for another kind of hope in his life.
Diary of a Kriegie
by Edward William BeattieDiary of a Kriegie is the personal account of United Press correspondent Edward Beattie following his capture in France and imprisonment by the Germans for the final eight months of the Second World War. Beattie was kept in a series of internment camps, ending up at Stalag III-A at Luckenwalde, Germany. He was released when the Red Army liberated the camp in April 1945. The book provides a detailed look at camp life, especially the longing for favorite foods (some interesting prisoner recipes are included). The arrival of Red Cross packages were much anticipated and an important addition to the prisoner’s otherwise meager diets. Beattie’s knowledge of Germany (he had worked as a reporter in Germany before the war) and fluency in the German language add interest to the diary as he was able to gain insights into the workings of the camp and his captors. This version includes 42 pages of drawings made by the author while a prisoner-of-war.
Diary of a Man in Despair
by Paul Rubens Friedrich Reck Richard EvansFriedrich Reck might seem an unlikely rebel against Nazism. Not just a conservative but a rock-ribbed reactionary, he played the part of a landed gentleman, deplored democracy, and rejected the modern world outright. To Reck the Nazis were ruthless revolutionaries in Gothic drag, and helpless as he was to counter the spell they had cast on the German people, he felt compelled to record the corruptions of their rule. The result is less a diary than a sequence of stark and astonishing snapshots of life in Germany between 1936 and 1944. We see the Nazis at the peak of power, and the murderous panic with which they respond to approaching defeat; their travesty of traditional folkways in the name of the Volk; and the author's own missed opportunity to shoot Hitler. This riveting book is not only, as Hannah Arendt proclaimed it, "one of the most important documents of the Hitler period" but a moving testament of a decent man struggling to do the right thing in a depraved world.stonishing snapshots of life in Germany between 1936 and 1944. We see the Nazis at the peak of power, and we see the murderous panic with which they respond to approaching defeat. Reck describes the travesty of traditional folkways that the Nazis engage in the name of the Volk, ruminates on the character of Hitler and regrets a missed opportunity he had to shoot him, describes the bombing of Munich, joins the resistance, and waits for arrest knowing he has been betrayed. This riveting book is not only, as Hannah Arendt proclaimed it, "one of the most important documents of the Hitler period" but a moving testament of a decent if sometimes deluded man struggling to do the right thing in a depraved world.