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Ian Fleming's Secret War
by Craig CabellWhile his extravagant and glamorous lifestyle is well known, little has been published concerning Ian Fleming's contribution during the Second World War. In the very early days of the War, Fleming was earmarked by the Director of Naval Intelligence as his 'right hand man'. From the outset he was in the center of events, meeting with key political and military figures as well as those of exceptional intelligence, experience and courage. All this was to give him invaluable background when he came to write the Bond novels. The author has uncovered through official documentation, private papers and contacts the depth of Fleming's work in Naval Intelligence. Fascinating insights of those he worked with and details of covert trips to Europe and North Africa emerge. Fleming was closely associated with 30 Assault Unit, a crack team of Commandos who took the fight to the enemy. The book reveals both the history of 30 AU and Fleming's role.
Chinese Hordes and Human Waves: A Personal Perspective of the Korean War, 1950–1953
by Brigadier Brian Parritt General Mike SwindellsThe North Koreans attack on their Southern neighbors shocked and surprised the World. The conflict rapidly escalated with China soon heavily involved on one side and the United States and United Nations on the other.The author, then a young Gunner officer, found himself in the midst of this very nasty war. He describes first hand what it was like to be at the infamous Battle of the Hook, where UN troops held off massed attacks by the Communists. Few outside the war zone realized just how horrific conditions were.As a qualified Chinese interpreter and, later, a senior military intelligence officer, Parritt is well placed to analyze why the Commonwealth got involved, the mistakes and successes and the extreme risk that the war represented.This is not only a fine memoir but a unique insight into a forgotten War.
Cold War Spymaster: The Legacy of Guy Liddell, Deputy Director of MI5
by Nigel WestThe postwar era as seen by a master of counterespionage—with an insight into his professional downfall. Guy Liddell was the director of MI5&’s counterespionage B Division throughout the Second World War, during which he wrote a confidential personal diary, detailing virtually every important event with intelligence significance. Those recently declassified diaries, which were edited by Nigel West, have now been followed by a postwar series which covers the period from the German surrender until Liddell&’s sudden resignation in May 1953. These eight years contain many disturbing secrets, such as the cache of incriminating Nazi documents which was supposed to be destroyed by the SS. When these were recovered intact, the British government went to considerable lengths to keep them from being disclosed, for they provided proof of the Duke of Windsor&’s contact, through a Portuguese intermediary, with the enemy during the crucial period in 1940 when the ex-king declared himself ready to fly back from the Bahamas and be restored to the throne. One of Liddell&’s first tasks, at the request of Buckingham Palace, was to retrieve and suppress the damaging material. Liddell&’s diaries were never intended for publication—and are filled with indiscretions that shed new light on MI5 investigations he supervised after his promotion to deputy director general. In addition to such behind-the-scenes stories, this book includes details about the end of Liddell&’s career and the mistakes that led to it. Despite Liddell&’s manifest failings, and his reluctance to believe in the disloyalty of men he regarded as friends, he was probably the single most influential British intelligence officer of his era. &“[Nigel West&’s] information is often so precise that many people believe he is the unofficial historian of the secret services.&” —The Sunday Times
The Hidden Threat: Mines and Minesweeping Reserve in WWI
by Jim CrossleyIt is not widely remembered that mines were by far the most effective weapon deployed against the British Royal Navy in WW1, costing them 5 battleships, 3 cruisers, 22 destroyers, 4 submarines and a host of other vessels. They were in the main combated by a civilian force using fishing boats and paddle steamers recruited from holiday resorts. This unlikely armada saved the day for Britain and her allies. After 1916, submarine attacks on merchant ships became an even more serious threat to Allied communications but submarines were far less damaging to British warships than mines.This book contains the following:Mines in WWIMain cause of ship losses; The Konigin Louise; Loss of Amphion; The Berlin; Loss of Audacity; Losses in the Dardanelles; The Meteor; German mines and how they worked; Minefields - British and German; Fast minelayers; Submarine minelayers.Formation of RNMRPersonnel and discipline; Sweeping technique and gear; Trawlers and drifters; Paddlers; Fleet minesweepers; Sloops.ActionsEast Coast and the Scarborough Raid; Dardanelles; Dover Straight; Mine ClearanceSome Typical IncidentsMine strikes and Mine sweeping.StatisticsMines swept; Ships lost; Minesweepers lost.
The Presumption of Guilt: The Arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Race, Class, and Crime in America
by Charles OgletreeShortly after noon on Tuesday, July 16, 2009, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., MacArthur Fellow and Harvard professor, was mistakenly arrested by Cambridge police sergeant James Crowley for attempting to break into his own home. The ensuing media firestorm ignited debate across the country. The Crowley-Gates incident was a clash of absolutes, underscoring the tension between black and white, police and civilians, and the privileged and less privileged in modern America. Charles Ogletree, one of the country's foremost experts on civil rights, uses this incident as a lens through which to explore issues of race, class, and crime, with the goal of creating a more just legal system for all. Working from years of research and based on his own classes and experiences with law enforcement, the author illuminates the steps needed to embark on the long journey toward racial and legal equality for all Americans.
The Circle: A Novel (Commandant Martin Servaz #2)
by Bernard MinierAfter the success of The Frozen Dead, Bernard Minier plunges readers once again into a perfectly constructed, dark and oppressive atmosphere, driven foreward by a gripping plot, pushing the limits of the genre.They find the boy by the swimming pool, dolls floating on its surface.Inside the house, his teacher lies dead.But he claims to remember nothing... June 2010. In the middle of a World Cup match, Martin Servaz receives a call from a long-lost lover. A few miles away in the town of Marsac, Classics professor Claire Diemar has been brutally murdered. As if that weren't disturbing enough, Servaz receives a cryptic e-mail indicating that Julian Hirtmann, the most twisted of all serial killers, is back…and hitting a little too close to home. With death and chaos surrounding the small university town in Southern France where he was once a student and where his daughter is now enrolled, Servaz must act quickly. With the help of detectives Irene Ziegler and Esperandieu, Servaz will have to uncover a world of betrayal and depravity to connect the dots between these gruesome murders that keep re-opening wounds from his past.
Escape from Slavery: The True Story of My Ten Years in Captivity—and My Journey to Freedom in America
by Francis Bok Edward TivnanIn this groundbreaking modern slave narrative, Francis Bok shares his remarkable story with grace, honesty, and a wisdom gained from surviving ten years in captivity.May, 1986: Selling his mother's eggs and peanuts near his village in southern Sudan, seven year old Francis Bok's life was shattered when Arab raiders on horseback, armed with rifles and long knives, burst into the quiet marketplace, murdering men and women and gathering the young children into a group. Strapped to horses and donkeys, Francis and others were taken north, into lives of slavery under wealthy Muslim farmers. For ten years, Francis lived alone in a shed near the goats and cattle that were his responsibility. Fed with scraps from the table, slowly learning bits of an unfamiliar language and religion, the boy had almost no human contact other than his captor's family. After two failed attempts to escape-each bringing severe beatings and death threats-Francis finally escaped at age seventeen, a dramatic breakaway on foot that was his final chance. Yet his slavery did not end there, for even as he made his way toward the capital city of Khartoum, others sought to deprive him of his freedom. Determined to avoid that fate and discover what had happened to his family on that terrible day in 1986, the teenager persevered through prison and refugee camps for three more years, winning the attention of United Nations officials and being granted passage to America.Now a student and an anti-slavery activist, Francis Bok has made it his life mission to combat world slavery. His is the first voice to speak for an estimated twenty seven million people held against their will in nearly every nation, including our own. Escape from Slavery is at once a riveting adventure, a story of desperation and triumph, and a window revealing a world that few have survived to tell.
A Christmas Carol (Puffin Classics)
by Charles DickensPuffin Classics: the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child. I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.Ebenezer Scrooge is a mean, miserable, bitter old man with no friends. One cold Christmas Eve, three ghosts take him on a scary journey to show him the error of his nasty ways. By visiting his past, present and future, Scrooge learns to love Christmas and the people all around him.A Christmas Carol has become a a true holiday classic, and is a powerful and uplifting story of redemption for all ages. 'The resonance of A Christmas Carol seems to get stronger every year' - The Guardian
Does My Dog Love Me?: Understanding how your dog sees the world
by Graeme HallNow a Sunday Times bestsellerHave you ever wondered what your dog is really thinking?Our dogs mean the world to us and as owners we do our best to make sure they feel happy and loved, whilst also keeping them in line when needed. But wouldn’t it be so much easier if we spoke the same language and could ask what they were thinking or feeling?In his latest book, top dog trainer, Graeme Hall, reveals the secrets to understanding what your furry companion is trying to say and how they see the world. Drawing on 15 years of experience training over 5,000 dogs, and backed up with scientific evidence, he tackles all the tricky questions you’ve ever wanted to ask, such as ‘how do I tell my dog he’s been naughty?’ and ‘how long does a dog remember?’.Sharing his own personal stories and practical tips, Graeme demonstrates how to interpret your dog's body language and use that knowledge to build a stronger, more rewarding relationship, as well as how to avoid common mistakes. Whether you're a seasoned dog owner or a new pup parent, this book will change the way you think about your four-legged best friend.
Treasure Island (Puffin Classics)
by Robert Louis StevensonPuffin Classics: the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child. The HISPANIOLA still lay where she had anchored; but, sure enough, there was the Jolly Roger--the black flag of piracy--flying from her peak. Following the death of bloodthirsty buccaneer Captain Flint, young Jim Hawkins finds himself with the key to a fortune - he has discovered a map that will lead him to the fabled Treasure Island. But a gang of villains, wild beasts and deadly swashbucklers stand between him and the stash of gold. Not to mention the most infamous pirate ever to sail the high seas . . . The original pirate adventure story, this timeless classic includes a wonderfully funny introduction by award-winning author Eoin Colfer, a behind-the-scenes journey, an author profile, a guide to who's who, activities and more!
Find Love: How to navigate modern love and discover the right partner for you (The Fundamentals of Love #1)
by Paul Brunson'FIND LOVE is more than a book; it's a compass for navigating the ever-changing landscape of relationships. This book is your toolkit for identifying and connecting with a partner who not only completes you but also strengthens you. It is rich with insights, supported by research, and steeped in heart.' - Paul BrunsonFrom red to green flags, apps, speed-dating, attachment styles, trauma, dealbreakers, compromises and making it past the first date... finding love can feel like a minefield.In Find Love, world renowned relationship expert and Head of Global Research for Tinder, Paul Brunson, provides you with vital advice for navigating and securing real connections. Whether you're single and looking for love or in a relationship and wondering if your partner is 'the one', this book will arm you with the advice, skills, and simple tools you need to make an informed decision on how to simultaneously love yourself and find the right partner for you.'Packed with practical advice and brilliantly researched, this is a thoughtful, deeply helpful and empowering toolkit for all things relating to love and relationships’ – Fearne Cotton
Red State Blues: Stories from Midwestern Life on the Left
by Martha BayneMuch has been made of the 2016 electoral flip of traditionally Democratic states like Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Ohio to tip Donald Trump into the presidency. Countless think pieces have explored this newfound exotic constituency of blue voters who swung red. But what about those who remain true blue? Red State Blues speaks to the lived experience of progressives, activists, and ordinary Democrats pushing back against simplistic narratives of the Midwest as "Trump Country." They've been there all along, and as the essays in this collection demonstrate, they're not leaving anytime soon. With contributions by journalist and scholar Sarah Kendzior, Kenyon College president Sean Decatur, Pittsburgh city councilman Dan Gilman, and more.
Democratizing Cleveland: The Rise and Fall of Community Organizing in Cleveland, Ohio 1975–1985
by Randy CunninghamDemocratizing Cleveland: The Rise and Fall of Community Organizing in Cleveland, Ohio, 1975-1985 is the result of almost fifteen years of research on a topic that has been missing from local works on Cleveland history: the community organizing movement that put neighborhood concerns and neighborhood voices front and center in the setting of public policies in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Originally published in 2007 by Arambala Press, this important work is being reprinted by Belt Publishing for a new generation of activists, planners, urbanists, and organizers.
The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World
by Jamil Zaki&“In this masterpiece, Jamil Zaki weaves together the very latest science with stories that will stay in your heart forever.&”—Angela Duckworth, author of GritDon&’t miss Jamil Zaki&’s TED Talk, &“We&’re experiencing an empathy shortage, but we can fix it together,&” online now. Empathy is in short supply. We struggle to understand people who aren&’t like us, but find it easy to hate them. Studies show that we are less caring than we were even thirty years ago. In 2006, Barack Obama said that the United States was suffering from an &“empathy deficit.&” Since then, things seem to have only gotten worse. It doesn&’t have to be this way. In this groundbreaking book, Jamil Zaki shares cutting-edge research, including experiments from his own lab, showing that empathy is not a fixed trait—something we&’re born with or not—but rather a skill that can be strengthened through effort. He also tells the stories of people who embody this new perspective, fighting for kindness in the most difficult of circumstances. We meet a former neo-Nazi who is now helping to extract people from hate groups, ex-prisoners discussing novels with the judge who sentenced them, Washington police officers changing their culture to decrease violence among their ranks, and NICU nurses fine-tuning their empathy so that they don&’t succumb to burnout. Written with clarity and passion, The War for Kindness is an inspiring call to action. The future may depend on whether we accept the challenge.Praise for The War for Kindness&“A wide-ranging practical guide to making the world better.&”—NPR&“Relating anecdotes and test cases from his fellow researchers, news events and the imaginary world of literature and entertainment, Zaki makes a vital case for &‘fighting for kindness.&’ . . . If he&’s right—and after reading The War for Kindness, you&’ll probably think so—Zaki&’s work is right on time.&” —San Francisco Chronicle&“In this landmark book, Jamil Zaki gives us a revolutionary perspective on empathy: Empathy can be developed, and, when it is, people, relationships, organizations, and cultures are changed.&”—Carol Dweck, author of Mindset
A Pandemic in Residence: Essays from a Detroit Hospital
by Selina MahmoodA debut essay collection of remarkable breadth and erudition by a young Pakistani-American doctor and writer. During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Selina Mahmood‚Äîin the middle of the first year of her neurology residency‚Äîfound scraps of time between grueling shifts to write. The resulting A Pandemic in Residence: Essays from a Detroit Hospital is her personal and meticulous document of an unprecedented year in medicine, and the debut of a young and uncommon talent. In the tradition of writers like Oliver Sacks and Paul Kalanithi, Dr. Mahmood takes the science of neurology and spins it into poetry, exploring theories of the mind, Pakistani-American identity, immigration, family, the history of medicine, and, of course, the challenges of becoming a physician in the midst of a global health crisis. Skipping nimbly across continents and drawing inspiration from an array of sources ranging from Thomas Edison to Yuval Harari to Beyoncv©, she has with this collection crafted an elegant, incisive, utterly original investigation. A Pandemic in Residence is a must-read for anyone seeking insight into our universal search for meaning.
The Pittsburgh Neighborhood Guidebook (Belt Neighborhood Guidebooks)
by Ben GwinPart of Belt's Neighborhood Guidebook Series, a probing look at the Steel City's diverse locales. Pittsburgh is made up of more than ninety different neighborhoods. And while The Pittsburgh Neighborhood Guidebook
Radical Humility: Essays on Ordinary Acts
by Rebekah Modrak and Jamie Vander BroekThis innovative essay collection explores the personal and civic function of humility from a range of popular and scholarly perspectives. What does humility mean and why does it matter in an age of golden escalators and billion
Sweeter Voices Still: An LGBTQ Anthology from Middle America
by Ryan Schuessler & Kevin WhiteneirA groundbreaking nonfiction collection about queer life in the Midwest. "A marvelous ode to humanity and its passions."-- Little Village The middle of America―the Midwest, Appalachia, the Rust Belt, the Great
The New Midwest: A Guide to Contemporary Fiction of Great Lakes, Great Plains, and Rust Belt
by Mark AthitakisIn the public imagination, Midwestern literature has not evolved far beyond heartland laborers and hardscrabble immigrants of a century past. But as the region has changed, so, in many ways, has its fiction. In this book, the author explores how shifts in work, class, place, race, and culture has been reflected or ignored by novelists and short story writers. From Marilynne Robinson to Leon Forrest, Toni Morrison to Aleksandar Hemon, Bonnie Jo Campbell to Stewart O'Nan this book is a call to rethink the way we conceive Midwestern fiction, and one that is sure to prompt some new must-have additions to every reading list.
Alosha: An Alosha Novel (Alosha Trilogy #1)
by Christopher PikeFrom New York Times bestselling author Christopher Pike comes the first novel in the young adult fantasy Alosha Trilogy, featuring a teenager discovering her true identity and potential destiny. Every young girl dreams that she's secretly a princess of a far-off land and that someday her true parents will come to claim her and usher her into a life of luxury, a fabulous existence where she might even have magical powers and be swept off her feet by a handsome prince.Teenager Ali Warner has reason to cling to such a fantasy. Her mother died in a car accident a year ago. Her father, a trucker determined to work through his grief, hasn't acknowledged Ali's burgeoning figure or complicated emotions. Her friends still aren't sure how to talk about her mother's death. And the Southern California forest that has always been Ali's refuge is about to be ravaged by logging.Ali is about to discover that she is a princess--a fairy princess. And that she has to save the world. For real. To claim her fairy powers, Ali must overcome seven potentially lethal challenges. Then she must scale a mountain and confront the King of the Dwarves and the King of the Elves, whose armies are poised to invade Earth. With her bemused 21st century friends, a sly leprechaun, and an extremely loyal, extremely ugly, troll by her side, Ali begins the most momentous journey of her young life, a journey during which she will learn much about herself and the past she thought she knew. She will conquer fire and water, earth and air, and even time itself. She will be both betrayer and betrayed, will see death close at hand, and will snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Ali Warner is Alosha. Welcome to her world.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Poor White (Belt Revivals)
by Sherwood AndersonHugh McVey moves from Missouri to the agrarian town of Bidwell, Ohio. He invents a mechanical cabbage planter to ease the burden of famers, but an investor in town exploits his product, which fails to succeed. His next invention, a corn cutter, makes him a millionaire and transforms Bidwell into a center of manufacturing. McVey, perennially lonely and ruminative, meets Clara Butterworth, who attends college at nearby Ohio State and is perennially harassed by her potential matches. Published one year after Winesburg, Ohio, in 1920, Poor White has a modernist style, an realist attention to every day life, and an eerily contemporary resonance.
The Minotaur at Calle Lanza
by Zito MaduIn the fall of 2020, as the pandemic raged around the globe, Zito Madu traveled to Venice for a writing fellowship. There, he found a deserted, silent, but still beautiful city, “one of those extraordinarily strange places in the world.” As he details his walks through a haunted landscape, we learn about his family’s immigration from Nigeria to Detroit, his troubled relationship with his father, his meditations on race and otherness, the small joys of daily life and solitude, and his own rage and regret. With nods to Calvino and Borges, and reminiscent of Teju Cole, The Minotaur at Calle Lanza is an unforgettable travel memoir about the mysterious transformations that may lurk inside us all.
The Last Children of Mill Creek
by Vivian GibsonVivian Gibson's bestselling memoir of growing up in the 1950s in a segregated St. Louis neighborhood has been hailed by critics as "a spare, elegant jewel of a work" and "a love letter to Gibson's childhood."
Boys Come First
by Aaron FoleyThis hilarious, touching debut novel by Aaron Foley, author of How to Live in Detroit Without Being a Jackass, follows three Black gay millennial men looking for love, friendship, and professional success in the Motor City.  Sud
The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World: The Story Of A Colored Boy's Indomitable Courage And Success Against Great Odds (Belt Revivals)
by Marshall W. TaylorThe true story of Marshall “Major” Taylor, who overcame racial prejudice to become one of the most dominant cyclists in history. Part of Belt’s Revival series and with an introduction by Zito Madu. The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World, which Taylor self-published in 1928, gives a riveting first-person account of his rise to the highest echelons of professional cycling. Born in Indianapolis, he eventually became the first African American cycling world champion, going on to set seven world records in the sport. Readers will learn about Taylor’s exploits as an athlete, including his early taste of success in a grueling six-day race, his unparalleled dominance as a sprinter, and some of his most bitter defeats. But the man who achieved international fame as the “Black Cyclone” also details the extreme prejudice he faced both on and off the track. It’s a story about one of the greatest athletes in American history but also a moving testament to Taylor’s resilience and determination in the face of overt racism and seemingly impossible odds. As he tells us himself, “I am writing my memoirs . . . in the spirit calculated to solicit simple justice, equal rights, and a square deal for the posterity of my down-trodden but brave people, not only in athletic games and sports, but in every honorable game of human endeavor.”