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A Question of Betrayal: An Elena Standish Novel (Elena Standish #2)
by Anne PerryOn her first mission for MI6, the daring young photographer at the heart of this thrilling new mystery series by bestselling author Anne Perry travels to Mussolini&’s Italy to rescue the lover who betrayed her.Britain&’s secret intelligence service, MI6, has lost contact with its informant in northern Italy, just as important information about the future plans of Austria and Nazi Germany is coming to light. And young Elena Standish, to her surprise, is the only person who can recognize MI6&’s man—because he is her former lover. Aiden Strother betrayed her six years before, throwing shame on her entire family. Now, with so much to prove, Elena heads to Trieste to track down Aiden and find out what happened to his handler, who has mysteriously cut off contact with Britain. As Elena gets word of a secret group working to put Austria in the hands of Germany, her older sister, Margot, is in Berlin to watch a childhood friend get married—to a member of the Gestapo. Margot and Elena&’s grandfather, the former head of MI6, is none too happy about the sisters&’ travels at this tumultuous time, especially when a violent event at home reminds him that even Britain is growing dangerous. As his own investigation collides with his granddaughter's, what&’s at stake on the continent becomes increasingly frightening—and personal. Against the backdrop of a rapidly changing Europe, New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry crafts a novel full of suspense, political intrigue, and the struggle between love and loyalty to country.
A Question of Betrayal (Elena Standish Book 2)
by Anne PerryNew York Times bestselling author Anne Perry brings us the second exciting instalment in her new thriller series, set in a time of increasing fear and violence across Europe in the 1930s and featuring British photographer and secret agent Elena Standish.It is the autumn of 1933 and, fresh from her exploits in Berlin, young British photographer Elena Standish is chosen for a secret assignment in Trieste to establish contact with an MI6 agent whose handler has gone missing, presumed dead. Elena's mission is to bring back the agent along with top secret information that could save the lives of thousands of people. But the agent is none other than Aiden Strother, the lover who broke Elena's heart six years ago when he betrayed his country. With the revelation from MI6 that Aiden is, in fact, a loyal double agent, Elena knows she must put her sense of duty before her personal pride. But with political tension growing across Europe, the unstoppable rise of Hitler, and an alarming discovery within the very heart of British Intelligence, Elena and her family fear that her life is, once again, in grave danger...
A Question of Betrayal (Elena Standish Book 2)
by Anne PerryNew York Times bestselling author Anne Perry brings us the second exciting instalment in her new thriller series, set in a time of increasing fear and violence across Europe in the 1930s and featuring British photographer and secret agent Elena Standish.July, 1934. Following the assassination of Chancellor Dollfuss in Vienna, Elena Standish is enlisted by MI6 in London to travel to Trieste to rescue her former lover, Aiden Strother. Aiden left her broken-hearted several years ago and she vowed to have nothing more to do with him, but MI6 chief Peter Howard explains that Aiden was acting undercover at the time and is a loyal British double agent... She accepts the mission, despite the risk of danger and potential embarrassment, but it soon becomes clear that Aiden has triple-crossed them all. He has been a Nazi sympathiser all along and once again Elena's life is in jeopardy...(P)2020 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
A Question of Blood
by Ian RankinThe fourteenth Inspector Rebus novel - and No.1 bestseller.Two seventeen-year-olds are killed by an ex-Army loner who has gone off the rails. The mystery takes Rebus into the heart of a shattered community. Ex-Army himself, Rebus becomes fascinated by the killer, and finds he is not alone. Army investigators are on the scene, and won't be shaken off. The killer had friends and enemies to spare and left behind a legacy of secrets and lies. Rebus has more than his share of personal problems, too. He's fresh out of hospital, but won't say how it happened. Could there be a connection with a house-fire and the unfortunate death of a petty criminal who had been harassing Rebus's colleague Siobhan Clarke?
A Question of Blood (A Rebus Novel)
by Ian RankinThe fourteenth Inspector Rebus novel - and No.1 bestseller.Two seventeen-year-olds are killed by an ex-Army loner who has gone off the rails. The mystery takes Rebus into the heart of a shattered community. Ex-Army himself, Rebus becomes fascinated by the killer, and finds he is not alone. Army investigators are on the scene, and won't be shaken off. The killer had friends and enemies to spare and left behind a legacy of secrets and lies. Rebus has more than his share of personal problems, too. He's fresh out of hospital, but won't say how it happened. Could there be a connection with a house-fire and the unfortunate death of a petty criminal who had been harassing Rebus's colleague Siobhan Clarke?
A Question of Blood: From the Iconic #1 Bestselling Writer of Channel 4’s MURDER ISLAND (A Rebus Novel)
by Ian RankinTwo seventeen-year-olds are killed by an ex-Army loner who has gone off the rails. The mystery takes Rebus into the heart of a shattered community. Ex-Army himself, Rebus becomes fascinated by the killer, and finds he is not alone. Army investigators are on the scene, and won't be shaken off. The killer had friends and enemies to spare and left behind a legacy of secrets and lies. Rebus has more than his share of personal problems, too. He's fresh out of hospital, but won't say how it happened. Could there be a connection with a house-fire and the unfortunate death of a petty criminal who had been harassing Rebus's colleague Siobhan Clarke?Read by James Macpherson(p) 2015 Orion Publishing Group
A Question of Blood: From the iconic #1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES (A Rebus Novel)
by Ian RankinTwo seventeen-year-olds are killed by an ex-Army loner who has gone off the rails. The mystery takes Rebus into the heart of a shattered community. Ex-Army himself, Rebus becomes fascinated by the killer, and finds he is not alone. Army investigators are on the scene, and won't be shaken off. The killer had friends and enemies to spare and left behind a legacy of secrets and lies. Rebus has more than his share of personal problems, too. He's fresh out of hospital, but won't say how it happened. Could there be a connection with a house-fire and the unfortunate death of a petty criminal who had been harassing Rebus's colleague Siobhan Clarke?Read by James Macpherson(p) 2006 Orion Publishing Group
A Question of Command: Counterinsurgency from the Civil War to Iraq
by Mark MoyarAccording to the prevailing view of counterinsurgency, the key to defeating insurgents is selecting methods that will win the people's hearts and minds. The hearts-and-minds theory permeates not only most counterinsurgency books of the twenty-first century but the U. S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual,the U.S. military's foremost text on counterinsurgency. Mark Moyar assails this conventional wisdom, asserting that the key to counterinsurgency is selecting commanders who have superior leadership abilities. Whereas the hearts-and-minds school recommends allocating much labor and treasure to economic, social, and political reforms, Moyar advocates concentrating resources on security, civil administration, and leadership development. Moyar presents a wide-ranging history of counterinsurgency, from the Civil War and Reconstruction to Afghanistan and Iraq, that draws on the historical record and interviews with hundreds of counterinsurgency veterans, including top leaders in today's armed forces. Through a series of case studies, Moyar identifies the ten critical attributes of counterinsurgency leadership and reveals why these attributes have been much more prevalent in some organizations than others. He explains how the U.S. military and America's allies in Afghanistan and Iraq should revamp their personnel systems in order to elevate more individuals with those attributes. A Question of Command will reshape the study and practice of counterinsurgency warfare. With counterinsurgency now one of the most pressing issues facing the United States, this book is a must-read for policymakers, military officers, and citizens.
A Question of Honor
by Stanley Cloud Lynne OlsonA Question of Honor is the gripping, little-known story of the refugee Polish pilots who joined the RAF and played an essential role in saving Britain from the Nazis, only to be betrayed by the Allies after the war.After Poland fell to the Nazis, thousands of Polish pilots, soldiers, and sailors escaped to England. Devoted to liberating their homeland, some would form the RAF's 303 squadron, known as the Kosciuszko Squadron, after the elite unit in which many had flown back home. Their thrilling exploits and fearless flying made them celebrities in Britain, where they were "adopted" by socialites and seduced by countless women, even as they yearned for news from home. During the Battle of Britain, they downed more German aircraft than any other squadron, but in a stunning twist at the war's end, the Allies rewarded their valor by abandoning Poland to Joseph Stalin. This moving, fascinating book uncovers a crucial forgotten chapter in World War II-and Polish-history.From the Trade Paperback edition.the Battle of Britain, where their daredevil skill in engaging German Messerschmitts in close and deadly combat while protecting the planes in their own groups soon made them legendary. And we learn what happened to them after the war, when their country was abandoned and handed over to the Soviet Union.A Question of Honor also gives us a revelatory history of Poland during World War II and of the many thousands in the Polish armed forces who fought with the Allies. It tells of the country's unending struggle against both Hitler and Stalin, its long battle for independence, and the tragic collapse of that dream in the "peace" that followed. Powerful, moving, deeply involving, A Question of Honor is an important addition to the literature of World War II.From the Hardcover edition.
A Question of Loyalty: Gen. Billy Mitchell and the Court-martial That Gripped the Nation
by Douglas C. WallerA Question of Loyalty plunges into the seven-week Washington trial of Gen. William "Billy" Mitchell, the hero of the U.S. Army Air Service during World War I and the man who proved in 1921 that planes could sink a battleship. In 1925 Mitchell was frustrated by the slow pace of aviation development, and he sparked a political firestorm, accusing the army and navy high commands -- and by inference the president -- of treason and criminal negligence in the way they conducted national defense. He was put on trial for insubordination in a spectacular court-martial that became a national obsession during the Roaring Twenties. Uncovering a trove of new letters, diaries, and confidential documents, Douglas Waller captures the drama of the trial and builds a rich and revealing biography of Mitchell.
Questions and Answers on Immigration in Britain
by Farid Raymond AnthonyThis guide to immigration to Britain uses a question and answer format to provide information in simple English. It ranges over: visitors; professional workers; students; business people; working in the UK; settlement; asylum; offences and deportation; appeals and British nationality.
The Quick and the Dead: The Perils of Post-War Test Flying
by William Arthur WatertonA pilot’s behind-the-scenes account of test flying with British aircraft organizations and manufacturers in the early years of the Cold War. Written from the pilot’s viewpoint, with refreshing candor and honesty, this account details what really went on behind the scenes in the defense world of the 1950s. After serving in World War II, the author continued his flying career, but to his dismay, found that quality was sometimes neglected when developing aircraft—leading to lives lost. Mainly centering on his work with the mighty Gloster Meteor and the Javelin interceptors, The Quick and the Dead is an astonishing report that sparked controversy upon its first publication. It was seen as a wake-up call at a time when British ingenuity and prowess were being overtaken by the Americans and Russians—and offers an astonishing insight into the history of the British aircraft industry.
The Quickening
by Rhiannon Ward'If you like gothic mystery, buckle up! This atmospheric read has it all' Woman magazine'An historical novel dripping with menace'Shari Lapena, author of The End of Her***********England, 1925. Louisa Drew lost her husband in the First World War and her six-year-old twin sons in the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918. Newly re-married and seven months pregnant, Louisa is asked by her employer to travel to Clewer Hall in Sussex where she is to photograph the contents of the house for auction.She learns Clewer Hall was host to an infamous séance in 1896, and that the lady of the house has asked those who gathered back then to come together once more to recreate the evening. When a mysterious child appears on the grounds, Louisa finds herself compelled to investigate and becomes embroiled in the strange happenings of the house. Gradually, she unravels the long-held secrets of the inhabitants and what really happened thirty years before... and discovers her own fate is entwined with that of Clewer Hall's.For fans of The Silent Companions, The Little Stranger and The Familiars, an exquisitely crafted and compelling mystery that invites the reader in to the crumbling Clewer Hall to help unlock its secrets.**********'Utterly brilliant... full of secrets and deliciously creepy'Lisa Hall, author of The Perfect Couple'A spooky treat, which had me turning the pages faster and faster'Cass Green, author of In a Cottage in a Wood
The Quickening
by Rhiannon Ward'If you like gothic mystery, buckle up! This atmospheric read has it all' Woman magazine'An historical novel dripping with menace'Shari Lapena, author of The End of Her***********England, 1925. Louisa Drew lost her husband in the First World War and her six-year-old twin sons in the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918. Newly re-married and seven months pregnant, Louisa is asked by her employer to travel to Clewer Hall in Sussex where she is to photograph the contents of the house for auction.She learns Clewer Hall was host to an infamous séance in 1896, and that the lady of the house has asked those who gathered back then to come together once more to recreate the evening. When a mysterious child appears on the grounds, Louisa finds herself compelled to investigate and becomes embroiled in the strange happenings of the house. Gradually, she unravels the long-held secrets of the inhabitants and what really happened thirty years before... and discovers her own fate is entwined with that of Clewer Hall's.For fans of The Silent Companions, The Little Stranger and The Familiars, an exquisitely crafted and compelling mystery that invites the reader in to the crumbling Clewer Hall to help unlock its secrets.**********'Utterly brilliant... full of secrets and deliciously creepy'Lisa Hall, author of The Perfect Couple'A spooky treat, which had me turning the pages faster and faster'Cass Green, author of In a Cottage in a Wood
Quickstrike (Code Name Series #5)
by William W. JohnstoneToday, when bomb-throwing madmen rule nations and crime cartels strangle the globe, justice demands extreme measures. For twenty years, ex-CIA agent John Barrone fought his country's dirty back-alley wars. Now, he spearheads a secret strike force of elite law enforcement and intelligence professionals on a seek-and-destroy mission against the nation's sworn enemies. CODE NAME QUICKSTRIKE When the first attack rocked the United States, seven billionaires were in a new skyscraper with a group of murderous fanatics. And so were four of the most dangerous covert warriors in the world. Now, as the country witnesses the devastation of coordinated terrorist strikes, John Barrone and his A-team are in the eye of the storm. Separating the killers from their targets, Barrone goes to battle—in a war that is just getting started. Because while the first counterstrike happens in Texas, the ultimate mission is halfway around the globe, where someone must cut out the heart of America's most deadly enemy...
¿Quién conquistó México?
by Federico NavarreteLos españoles no conquistaron México-Tenochtitlan: fueron decenas de miles de indígenas, movidos por sus propios intereses y encabezados por líderes que, sistemáticamente, condujeron a Cortés a cumplir sus propios fines con todo éxito. En este ensayo -tan certero como revolucionario y agudo- el historiador Federico Navarrete hace un repaso vibrante y seductor de lo ocurrido hace exactamente 500 años: desmonta los poderosos mitos creados a lo largo de las centurias, explica la complejidad del proceso colonizador y ofrece decenas de argumentos y razones que permiten responder, por fin, una pregunta que todavía le duele a nuestra identidad: ¿quién conquistó México? Al responderla, se entiende que la visión simplista de la conquista española surgió mucho tiempo después, y ha servido, hasta la fecha, para fomentar la discriminación y la desigualdad en México.
¿Quién mató a Ferrer i Guardia?
by Francisco BergasaEn un tiempo en el que la memoria histórica reclama un lugar parecía obligado aprovechar el centenario de aquel escándalo para reivindicar la inocencia de su protagonista. El 13 de octubre de 1909, hace ahora exactamente cien años, moría fusilado en el castillo de Montjuïc el pedagogo, anarquista y librepensador catalán Francisco Ferrer i Guardia, condenado a la última pena en virtud de una polémica sentencia que lo consideró «autor y máximo responsable» de los sucesos revolucionarios conocidos históricamente como la Semana Trágica. Con la ejecución de Ferrer i Guardia la España dogmática e intransigente, encarnada en el Gobierno de Maura, pretendió saldar, en un controvertido ajuste de cuentas, la deuda que con ella tenía contraída el creador de la Escuela Moderna, cuyas ideas políticas y pedagógicas representaban un ataque frontal a los valores defendidos por el sistema canovista. Y para ello no dudó en instruir un proceso arbitrario y tendencioso, viciado en todos y cada uno de sus autos, y falto de las más indispensables garantías jurídicas, que desembocó en un fallo escandaloso, considerado por historiadores y juristas como uno de los más flagrantes errores judiciales de la historia moderna. Ferrer i Guardia fue la cabeza de turco elegida por quienes defendían el eufemismo de la «revolución desde arriba» para advertir a los que la intentaban «desde abajo» del alto coste que suponía disentir de un régimen ineficaz y caduco empeñado en perpetuar sus prerrogativas, al que la injusta muerte de aquél dio el golpe de gracia en el proceso de su desintegración definitiva. En un tiempo en el que la memoria histórica reclama un lugar junto a la verdad oficial, dispuesta siempre interesadamente a olvidarla, parecía obligado aprovechar el centenario de aquel escándalo judicial para reivindicar la inocencia de su protagonista. Y acercar, a la vez, hasta el lector toda una suerte de prácticas perversas (la instrumentalización de la Justicia, la intromisión de la Iglesia en el orden civil, el servicio de la propaganda mediática al descrédito del adversario o la inevitable y perenne confrontación de las dos Españas), tan presentes en la causa aquí investigada, y que continúan plenamente vigentes un siglo después de aquellos hechos.
The Quiet American
by Graham GreeneThe relentless struggle of the Vietminh guerrillas for independence and the futility of the French gestures of resistance become inseparably meshed with the personal and moral dilemmas of two men and the Vietnamese woman they both love. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.
The Quiet Americans: Four CIA Spies at the Dawn of the Cold War -- a Tragedy in Three Acts
by Scott AndersonFrom the bestselling author of Lawrence in Arabia, a gripping history of the early years of the Cold War, the CIA's covert battles against communism, and the tragic consequences which still affect the world todayAt the end of World War II, the United States dominated the world militarily, economically, and in moral standing--seen as the victor over tyranny and a champion of freedom. But it was clear--to some--that the Soviet Union wasalready executing a plan to expand and foment revolution around the world. The American government's strategy in response relied on the secret efforts of a newly-formed CIA.The Quiet Americans chronicles the exploits of four spies--Michael Burke, a charming former football star fallen on hard times; Frank Wisner, the scion of a wealthy Southern family; Peter Sichel, a sophisticated German Jew whoescaped the Nazis; and Edward Lansdale, a brilliant ad executive. The four ran covert operations across the globe, trying to outwit the ruthless KGB in Berlin, parachuting commandos into Eastern Europe, plotting coups, and directingwars against Communist insurgents in Asia. But time and again their efforts went awry, thwarted by a combination ofstupidity and ideological rigidity at the highest levels of the government--and more profoundly, the decision to abandon American ideals. By the mid-1950s, the Soviet Union had a stranglehold on Eastern Europe, the U.S. had begun its disastrous intervention in Vietnam, and America, the beacon of democracy, was overthrowing democratically-elected governments and earning the hatred of much of the world. All of this culminated in an act of betrayal and cowardice that would lock the Cold War into place for decades to come. Anderson brings to the telling of this story all the narrative brio, deep research, skeptical eye, and lively prose that made Lawrence in Arabia a major international bestseller. The intertwined lives of these men began in a common purpose of defending freedom, but the ravages of the Cold War led them to different fates. Two would quit the CIA in despair, stricken by the moral compromises they had to make; one became the archetype of the duplicitous and destructive American spy; and one would be so heartbroken he would take his own life.The Quiet Americans is the story of these four men. It is also the story of how the United States, at the very pinnacle of its power, managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
The Quiet Americans: Four CIA Spies at the Dawn of the Cold War--a Tragedy in Three Acts
by Scott AndersonFrom the bestselling author of LAWRENCE IN ARABIA, a gripping history of the early years of the Cold War, the CIA's covert battles against communism, and the tragic consequences which still affect America and the world todayAt the end of World War II, the United States dominated the world militarily, economically, and in moral standing - seen as the victor over tyranny and a champion of freedom. But it was clear - to some - that the Soviet Union was already executing a plan to expand and foment revolution around the world. The American government's strategy in response relied on the secret efforts of a newly-formed CIA. THE QUIET AMERICANS chronicles the exploits of four spies - Michael Burke, a charming former football star fallen on hard times, Frank Wisner, the scion of a wealthy Southern family, Peter Sichel, a sophisticated German Jew who escaped the Nazis, and Edward Lansdale, a brilliant ad executive. The four ran covert operations across the globe, trying to outwit the ruthless KGB in Berlin, parachuting commandos into Eastern Europe, plotting coups, and directing wars against Communist insurgents in Asia. But time and again their efforts went awry, thwarted by a combination of stupidity and ideological rigidity at the highest levels of the government - and more profoundly, the decision to abandon American ideals. By the mid-1950s, the Soviet Union had a stranglehold on Eastern Europe, the U.S. had begun its disastrous intervention in Vietnam, and America, the beacon of democracy, was overthrowing democratically-elected governments and earning the hatred of much of the world. All of this culminated in an act of betrayal and cowardice that would lock the Cold War into place for decades to come. Anderson brings to the telling of this story all the narrative brio, deep research, skeptical eye, and lively prose that made LAWRENCE IN ARABIA a major international bestseller. The intertwined lives of these men began in a common purpose of defending freedom, but the ravages of the Cold War led them to different fates. Two would quit the CIA in despair, stricken by the moral compromises they had to make; one became the archetype of the duplicitous and destructive American spy; and one would be so heartbroken he would take his own life.THE QUIET AMERICANS is the story of these four men. It is also the story of how the United States, at the very pinnacle of its power, managed to permanently damage its moral standing in the world.
A Quiet Corner of the War
by Gilbert Claflin Esther ClaflinIn 2002, Judy Cook discovered a packet of letters written by her great-great-grandparents, Gilbert and Esther Claflin, during the American Civil War. An unexpected bounty, these letters from 1862-63 offer visceral witness to the war, recounting the trials of a family separated. Gilbert, an articulate and cheerful forty-year-old farmer, was drafted into the Union Army and served in the Thirty-Fourth Wisconsin Infantry garrisoned in western Kentucky along the Mississippi. Esther had married Gilbert when she was fifteen; now a woman with two teenage sons, she ran the family farm near Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, in Gilbert's absence. In his letters, Gilbert writes about food, hygiene, rampant desertions by drafted men, rebel guerrilla raids, and pastimes in the daily life of a soldier. His comments on interactions with Confederate prisoners and ex-slaves before and after the Emancipation Proclamation reveal his personal views on monumental events. Esther shares in her letters the challenges and joys of maintaining the farm, accounts of their boys Elton and Price, concerns about finances and health, and news of their local community and extended family. Esther's experiences provide insight into family, farm, and village life in the wartime North, an often overlooked aspect of Civil War history. Judy Cook has made the letters accessible to a wider audience by providing historical context with notes and appendixes. The volume includes a foreword by Civil War historian Keith S. Bohannon.
Quiet Courage: Forgotten Heroes of World War Two
by Tony MatthewsWhat could induce a young pilot to walk out onto the wing of his burning aircraft at 13,000 feet? Why would a plucky young woman descend into the bowels of a sinking ship knowing that she would almost certainly die there? Why did a family remain on their farm, tending crops while suffering four long years of deadly artillery shelling? How did a former fishing trawler sink one of Hitler&’s deadliest U-boats, and who were the two Australian nurses who protected wounded patients with their own bodies while experiencing a savage machine-gun attack? Why did a young naval apprentice keep rowing when his hands had been so badly burned, they were literally glued to his oar? And who were the two selfless &‘Dad&’s Army&’ soldiers who miraculously saved the lives of hundreds of their comrades even when it meant sacrificing their own? These and many other fascinating questions are answered in one of the most remarkable books of gallantry, fortitude and selfsacrifice you will ever read. Quiet Courage: Forgotten Heroes of World War Two is a book about thoughtful, intelligent actions and above all, an enviable capacity for bravery.
The Quiet Gunner at War: El Alamein to the Rhine with the Scottish Divisions
by Richmond GorleIn 1939 Dick Gorle was already a professional soldier but stationed in India. After the Dunkirk disaster he was recalled and initially involved in training recruits at Plymouth before going north to form the Highland Division Gunners.We hear of the journey to Egypt and thereafter it is intense action at El Alamein under Monty and the long grueling advance to Tripoli. The invasion of Sicily followed and Gorle describes the horrors of war in the mountains and towns while the locals appeared almost oblivious to the momentous events unfolding around them.Called back to attend Staff College, Gorle rejoined the fray in North West Europe as his Regiment, part of the Lowland Division, received thanks and welcome from those liberated, and fierce and deadly resistance from the retreating Germans. His memoir sums up the elation of victory, the closeness of comradeship and the desperate sadness of losses.
Quiet Hero
by Rita CosbyWhen a father reveals his haunting past, a daughter takes an incredible journey of self-discovery . . . Emmy® award-winning journalist, TV host, and New York Times bestselling author Rita Cosby has always asked the tough questions in her interviews with the world's top newsmakers. Now, in a compelling and powerful memoir, she reveals how she uncovered an amazing personal story of heroism and courage, the untold secrets of a man she has known all her life: her father. Years after her mother's tragic death, Rita finally nerved herself to sort through her mother's stored belongings, never dreaming what a dramatic story was waiting for her. Opening a battered tan suitcase, she discovered it belonged to her father--the enigmatic man who had divorced her mother and left when Rita was still a teenager. Rita knew little of her father's past: just that he had left Poland after World War II, and that his many scars, visible and not, bore mute witness to some past tragedy. He had always refused to answer questions. Now, however, she held in her hand stark mementos from the youth of the man she knew only as Richard Cosby, proud American: a worn Polish Resistance armband; rusted tags bearing a prisoner number and the words Stalag IVB; and an identity card for an ex-POW bearing the name Ryszard Kossobudzki. Gazing at these profoundly telling relics, the well-known journalist realized that her father's story was one she could not allow him to keep secret any longer. When she finally did persuade him to break his silence, she heard of a harrowing past that filled her with immense pride . . . and chilled her to the bone. At the age of thirteen, barely even adolescent, her father had seen his hometown decimated by bombs. By the time he was fifteen, he was covertly distributing anti-Nazi propaganda a few blocks from the Warsaw Ghetto. Before the Warsaw Uprising, he lied about his age to join the Resistance and actively fight the enemy to the last bullet. After being nearly fatally wounded, he was taken into captivity and sent to a German POW camp near Dresden, finally escaping in a daring plan and ultimately rescued by American forces. All this before he had left his teens. This is Richard Cosby's story, but it is also Rita's. It is the story of a daughter coming to understand a father whose past was too painful to share with those he loved the most, too terrible to share with a child . . . but one that he eventually revealed to the journalist. In turn, Rita convinced her father to join her in a dramatic return to his battered homeland for the first time in sixty-five years. As Rita drew these stories from her father and uncovered secrets and emotions long kept hidden, father and daughter forged a new and precious bond, deeper than either could have ever imagined.
Quiet Hero: The Ira Hayes Story
by S. D. NelsonA biography of Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian who was one of the six soldiers to raise the United States flag on Iwo Jima during World War II, an event immortalized by Joe Rosenthal's Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph.Growing up on the Gila River Indian Reservation in Arizona, Ira Hayes was a quiet, shy boy. He never wanted to be the center of attention, and at school, he felt lonely and out of place. By the time Ira was in his late teens, World War II was raging. When the United States called its men to arms, Ira answered by joining the Marine Corps. He believed it was his duty to fight honorably for his country, and with his Marine buddies by his side, Ira finally felt as if he belonged. Eventually they were sent to the tiny Japanese island of Iwo Jima, where a chance event and an extraordinary photograph catapulted Ira to national awareness and transformed his life forever. Filled with all the patriotism and tragedy of wartime and its afteraffects, Quiet Hero is the story of one person's courage in the face of both military and personal battles. It is a poignant tribute to Ira Hayes.