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The Sweeney: The First Sixty Years of Scotland Yard's Flying Squad
by Dick KirbyThe story of sixty years of Scotland Yards top crime-busting department has been written over a twenty year period by a former detective who spent over eight years with the Flying Squad The Sweeney.The meticulous research by the author has uncovered files never before released by the Yard and he has amassed the tales of bravery and top-notch investigations, carried out by the Squad officers of yesteryear.The book commences with the dramatic account of the daring gold bullion and jewellery raid in 1948 by a gang of well-organised criminals from the newly-opened Heathrow Airport. The Flying Squad were lying in wait for them and what happened next, was described by a judge at the Old Bailey as, The Battle of Heathrow.The Flying Squad was formed to stem the tide of lawlessness, following the First World War; from humble beginnings using horse-drawn wagons, they swiftly progressed to high-speed cars. Taking on the might of the Racetrack Gangs, armed robbers and smash & grab raiders, the Squad was brought to the forefront of the publics attention.The war years, the secret post-war Ghost Squad, the horse-doping scandals, the Great Train Robbery, the Bank of America robbery, Supergrasses and corruption are recounted with its scrupulous attention to detail. The book is filled with thrilling, amusing and always compelling anecdotes from the men who were there. It was the Flying Squad who inspired the popular TV series. This book reveals what life was really like in The Sweeney.
The Sweetheart Locket: A gripping and emotional WW2 page turner
by Jen GilroyA story that will linger in your heart long after you finish it' Maisie ThomasWhat if the key to your present lies in the past?London, 1939On the eve of the Second World War, Canadian Maggie Wyndham defies her family and stays in England to do her bit for the war effort. Torn between two countries, two men and living a life of lies working for the Special Operations Executive (SOE), Maggie's RAF sweetheart locket is part of who she is...and who she isn't.San Francisco, 2019Over twenty years after Maggie's death, her daughter Millie and granddaughter Willow take a DNA test that's supposed to be a bit of fun but instead yields unexpected results. Willow has always treasured her grandmother's sweetheart locket, both family heirloom and a symbol of her grandparents' love story. But now she doesn't know what to believe. She embarks on a search for the truth, one she doesn't know will reveal far more about herself...A gripping and heart-breaking dual timeline novel about love, loss and buried secrets, The Sweetheart Locket is perfect for fans of Lorna Cook, Rachel Hore and Suzanne Kelman.
The Sweetheart Locket: A gripping and emotional WW2 page turner
by Jen Gilroy'A story that will linger in your heart long after you finish it' Maisie ThomasWhat if the key to your present lies in the past?London, 1939On the eve of the Second World War, Canadian Maggie Wyndham defies her family and stays in England to do her bit for the war effort. Torn between two countries, two men and living a life of lies working for the Special Operations Executive (SOE), Maggie's RAF sweetheart locket is part of who she is...and who she isn't.San Francisco, 2019Over twenty years after Maggie's death, her daughter Millie and granddaughter Willow take a DNA test that's supposed to be a bit of fun but instead yields unexpected results. Willow has always treasured her grandmother's sweetheart locket, both family heirloom and a symbol of her grandparents' love story. But now she doesn't know what to believe. She embarks on a search for the truth, one she doesn't know will reveal far more about herself...A gripping and heart-breaking dual timeline novel about love, loss and buried secrets, The Sweetheart Locket is perfect for fans of Lorna Cook, Rachel Hore and Suzanne Kelman.
The Swiss Nurse
by Mario EscobarBased on the true story of an astonishingly brave woman who saved hundreds of mothers and their children during the Spanish Civil War and World War II.Elisabeth Eidenbenz left Switzerland in 1937 to aid children orphaned during the Spanish Civil War. Now, her work has led her to France, where she&’s determined to provide expectant mothers and their unborn children a refuge amid one of the worst humanitarian crises of the twentieth century.Desperate to escape the invasion of Franco&’s Fascist troops, Isabel Dueñas becomes one of many Spanish patriots fleeing their country. She leaves behind her husband as he fights for democracy, and she seeks asylum in a refugee camp across the border in France. Without adequate shelter, clean drinking water, or medical care, Isabel&’s future looks bleak—until she meets Elisabeth.When Germany invades Poland, an avalanche of humanity sweeps into France. In the cascade of crises that follow, Isabel and Elisabeth learn the cost and the unexpected joy of sacrifice.Based on the true stories of refugees and the woman who risked everything to save them, The Swiss Nurse shares a message of love and strength amid one of history&’s often overlooked conflicts.World War II historical fiction inspired by true eventsIncludes discussion questions for book clubs, a historical timeline, and notes from the authorBook length: 85,000 wordsAlso by author: Auschwitz Lullaby, Children of the Stars, Remember Me, The Librarian of Saint-Malo, The Teacher of Warsaw
The Swiss and the Nazis: How the Alpine Republic Survived in the Shadow of the Third Reich
by Stephen HalbrookThe award-winning author of Target Switzerland uses “a wide breadth of research to attempt to answer why Switzerland escaped the Nazi onslaught” (Daly History Blog).While surrounded by the Axis powers in World War II, Switzerland remained democratic and, unlike most of Europe, never succumbed to the siren songs and threats of the Nazi goliath.This book tells the story with emphasis on two voices rarely heard. One voice is that of scores of Swiss who lived in those dark years, told through oral history. They mobilized to defend the country, labored on the farms, and helped refugees. The other voice is that of Nazi Intelligence, those who spied on the Swiss and planned subversion and invasion. Exhaustive documents from the German military archives reveals a chilling rendition of attack plans which would be dissuaded in part by Switzerland’s armed populace and Alpine defenses.Laced with unique maps and photos, the book reveals how the Swiss mobilized an active “spiritual defense” of their country—including the use of the press and cabaret as weapons against totalitarianism—and explores the role of women in the military and economy, the role of Jewish officers in the highest levels of the Swiss army, and the role of Switzerland itself as America’s window on the Reich. “Halbrook succeeds not only in achieving a thorough analysis of Switzerland’s armed neutrality, but also in revealing through their own voices the willingness of ordinary citizens to accept total war in order to preserve their freedom.”—Swiss American Historical Society Review
The Sword Of The Union: Federal Objectives And Strategies During The American Civil War [Illustrated Edition]
by Dr Howard M. HenselIncludes Civil War Map and Illustrations Pack - 224 battle plans, campaign maps and detailed analyses of actions spanning the entire period of hostilities.In this work, Dr. Howard Hensel has analyzed the national objectives, grand and national military strategies, and theater operations of the United States government and the Union army during the four year conflict. In addition to contributing to a better understanding of these aspects of Federal war policy, Dr. Hensel has drawn generalizable conclusions from the actions of the Washington politico-military leadership. Of particular interest is the typology of offensively oriented, generic military strategies constructed from the experience of the Federal high command and its armies during this traumatic war.
The Sword Through the Centuries
by Alfred HuttonEngrossing, carefully researched and illustrated survey spanning 5 centuries covers the development of the sword from its earliest forms, beginning with the Age of Chivalry. Lively contemporary accounts provide details on such weapons as the two-hand sword, the rapier and its auxiliaries, dagger and small sword, broadsword, duelling sword, and sabre. 48 black-and-white illustrations.
The Sword and the Shield
by Kristan StoddartKristan Stoddart reveals for the first time discussions that took place between the British, French and US governments for nuclear cooperation in the early to mid 1970s. In doing so it sets the scene for the upgrade to Britain's Polaris force codenamed Chevaline and how this could have brought down Harold Wilson's Labour government of 1974-1976.
The Sword and the Stallion (Gateway Essentials #451)
by Michael MoorcockEnemies become allies and allies enemies as the races struggle for possession of the Earth. Yet only Prince Corum Jhaelin Irsei of the Scarlet Robe can save them from a doomed fate. With the spear of Llaw Ereint in his silver hand, Corum must face the Cold Gods in a final battle that will defeat the forces of Chaos - or deliver the world to evil unending...
The Sword and the Throne (The Aulus Severus Adventures)
by Henry Venmore-RowlandAs Rome enters the Year of the Four Emperors, a soldier marches into the crucible of battle to meet his uncertain fate in the sequel to The Last Caesar.Rome, 69 AD: In the bloody contest for control of Rome, Aulus Caecina Severus has thrown in his lot with the hedonistic military commander Vitellius. Now he must prepare his legions for a grueling march over the Alps. Severus leads his army against barbarian rebellions and the tough mountain passes in his race to reach Italy before his rival Valens. With the Po valley almost in sight, news comes that Emperor Galba has been killed in a coup, and that Otho has been declared Emperor by the Praetorians. But there is no turning back for Severus: the Rhine legions want their man on the throne, leading Severus down a dark path. Politics is the new battleground, and Severus needs the help of his wife Salonina and his freedman Totavalas if he wants to survive. And as a new power emerges in the east, Severus must decide where his true loyalty lies . . .
The Sword of Attila: A Novel of the Last Years of Rome
by Michael Curtis FordFor centuries, Rome had ruled from Africa to the wilds of Britain. Now, from across a broad plain of waving grass, a new enemy had poured out of the East - to be led by a man whose goal was not just victory in battle, but the end of an empire. . . In his novels of ancient warfare, Michael Curtis Ford captures the roar, clamor and horror of battle as well as the intimate moments of human choice upon which history turns. In his extraordinary new work, he brings to life the buckling Roman empire in 400 A. D. , a jagged, sprawling realm of foreign fighters, unstable rulers, and battle lines stretched too far. At this pivotal moment, General Flavius Aetius is forced into a battle he does not want but cannot afford to lose. Once Flavius livedamong the wild Huns, rode their stout warhorses and became like a son to their king. Now, he faces a man who once saved his life, a man he fears, loves and admires. . . a man named Attila - the most dangerous enemy Rome has ever known. . . .
The Sword of David: The Israeli Air Force at War
by Donald J. Mccarthy JR.Founded in 1948, the Israeli Air Force has seen involvement in some of the most dramatic and important conflicts of post-World War II history. In action during the Suez crisis and on call during the Gulf War, the Force continued to see active deployment right through to the 2006 Lebanon War and beyond into recent conflicts in Gaza. This is a timely release, which sets recent events in historical context, and illustrates these key operations with a range of impressive color photographs, many of which have never been published before.Don McCarthy is an established and well-respected aviation historian and as such is particularly well placed to produce such a work. Controversial contemporary conflicts between Israel and Iran make the publication of this record particularly pertinent, illustrating the history of these ongoing disputes and the conflicts that prefigured them. Included are images of iconic relics such as the historic Mirage and Skyhawk, as well as photographs of modern craft such as F-15s and F-16s. This library of images work to paint an engaging history of this Force, a presence in the skies for more than sixty-five years.
The Sword of Luchana: Baldomero Espartero and the Making of Modern Spain, 1793–1879 (Toronto Iberic)
by Adrian ShubertBorn into obscurity in a rural backwater of central Spain in the waning years of the eighteenth century, Baldomero Espartero (1793–1879) led a life resembling that of a character created by Stendhal or Gabriel García Márquez. As a seventy-five-year-old man he was offered – and turned down – the throne of an industrializing nation. During his illustrious life, he fought against Napoleon, Simón Bolívar, and other Latin American independence leaders; won a seven-year civil war; served as regent for the child queen Isabella II; and spent years in exile in England. He governed as prime minister and also received multiple noble titles, including that of prince, which was normally reserved for members of the royal family. By his sixties, Espartero represented an almost mythical figure. Based on comprehensive archival research in Spain, Argentina, and the United Kingdom, The Sword of Luchana explores the public and private lives of this archetypal nineteenth-century hero. Adrian Shubert gives voice to the mass of ordinary Spaniards who revered Espartero as the embodiment of liberty and freedom, and to Jacinta Martínez de Sicilia y Santa Cruz, his wife of more than fifty years who played a key role in his public career. Including unprecedented access to Espartero’s personal papers, and set against the background of wars and revolutions in Spain and its American empire, The Sword of Luchana is a compelling account of the history of a crucial period of war, revolution, and political and social change.
The Sword of St. Michael: The 82nd Airborne Division in World War II
by Guy LofaroThe 82nd Airborne Division spent more time in combat than any other American airborne unit of World War II, and its fierce battlefield tenacity earned it the reputation of one of the finest divisions in the world. Yet no comprehensive history of the 82nd during World War II exists today. The Sword of St. Michaelcorrects this significant gap in the literature, offering a lively narrative and thoroughly researched history of the famous division.Author Guy LoFaro, himself a distinguished officer of the division, interweaves the voices of soldiers at both ends of the chain of command, from Eisenhower to the lowest private. Making extensive use of primary sources, LoFaro offers a work of insightful analysis, situating the division's exploits in a strategic and operational context.
The Sword of the Dawn: The Sword Of The Dawn (Gateway Essentials #452)
by Michael MoorcockDuke Dorian Hawkmoon's quest to destroy the Dark Empire of Granbretan leads him onto the path of a man who possess a rare ring that allows men to travel through time. Hawkmoon uses this ring to travel to a far future New Orleans, where he must battle the Pirate Lords who possess the Great Sword of the Dawn, which can end the Dark Empire once and for all.
The Sword of the Republic: A Biography of Marcus Claudius Marcellus
by Jeremiah McCallMarcellus military exploits were largely unmatched by any other aristocrat of Roman Middle Republic. As a young soldier in the First Punic War, he won a reputation for his skill in single combat. In his first consulship, he earned a triumph for defeating a Gallic tribe, no small feat in and of itself, and also slew the Gallic chieftain Britomartus in single combat. Consequently, he earned the spolia opima, an honor, according to Roman antiquarians, which had only been earned twice before, once by Romulus himself. He went on to defeat the hitherto-invincible Hannibal in a small battle around the central Italian city of Nola, and subsequently led an army to subdue and plunder the powerful city of Syracuse in an epic 2 year siege (despite the ingenious defensive measures of the inventor Archimedes). Yet, despite his undeniable success as a warrior and commander, Marcellus met with considerable political opposition at Rome.Marcellus career not only makes exciting reading, but gives an excellent vantage point from which to view the military and political struggles of the period and the role of military successes in the aristocratic culture of the Roman Republic. His biography will be an important addition to existing works on Roman military history.
The Sword's Other Edge: Trade-offs in the Pursuit of Military Effectiveness
by Dan ReiterThis book is the first work to build a conceptual framework describing how the pursuit of military effectiveness can present military and political tradeoffs, such as undermining political support for the war, creating new security threats, and that seeking to improve effectiveness in one aspect can reduce effectiveness in other aspects. Here are new ideas about military effectiveness, covering topics such as military robotics, nuclear weapons, insurgency, war finance, public opinion, and others. The study applies these ideas to World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the 1973 October War, as well as ongoing conflicts and public policy debates, such as the War on Terror, drone strikes, ISIS, Russian aggression against Ukraine, US-Chinese-Russian nuclear competitions, and the Philippines insurgency, among others. Both scholarly and policy-oriented readers will gather new insights into the political dimensions of military power, and the complexities of trying to grow military power.
The Swords of Silence: Book 1: The Swords of Fire Trilogy (The Swords of Fire Trilogy #1)
by Shaun Curry'AN INTELLIGENTLY PRESENTED HISTORICAL FANTASY THAT PROVOKES THOUGHT FROM THE START' THE BRITISH FANTASY SOCIETYWhere once new ideas and beliefs were accepted, now the country's military dictator, the Shogun is shutting his country down to any outside influences.Father Joaquim Martinez who left Portugal to make Hizen Province, Japan his home, has been quietly tending to the lives of his villagers, but everything is about to be thrown into turmoil, as the Shogun has outlawed Martinez's beliefs. Those who won't recant or accept banishment, face a death sentence.With the threat of a massacre looming, and the Shogun's Samurai closing in, Father Martinez must decide, if he is willing to risk everything, to save those he has sworn to protect.
The Sympathizer
by Viet Thanh Nguyen<P>Compared by critics to the works of Graham Greene, Denis Johnson, and George Orwell,The Sympathizer is a blistering exploration of identity, politics, and America, wrought in electric prose. <P>The narrator, a Vietnamese army captain, is a man of divided loyalties, a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist sleeper agent in America after the end of the Vietnam War. A powerful story of love and friendship, and a gripping espionage novel, The Sympathizer examines the legacy of the Vietnam War in literature, film, and the wars we fight today. End matter includes an essay by the author and an interview. <P><b>The winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction</b> <P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
The Synthetic Nitrogen Industry in World War I
by Anthony S. TravisThis concise brief describes how the demands of World War I, often referred to as the Chemists' War, led to the rapid emergence of a new key industry based on fixation of atmospheric nitrogen. Then, as now, nitrogen products, including nitric acid, and nitrates, were essential for both fertilizers and in the manufacture of modern explosives. During the first decade of the twentieth century, this stimulated research into and application of novel processes. This book illustrates how from late 1914 the relations and developments in the first modern military-industrial complex enabled the great capital expenditures and technological advances that accelerated massive expansion, particularly of the BASF Haber-Bosch high-pressure process, that determined the direction of the post-war chemical industry.
The Tactics of Aelian
by Christopher MatthewAelian's work on tactics is a hugely significant piece of ancient military literature, yet the last new edition in English was published in 1814. Although writing (in his native Greek) in the second century AD, Aelian drew heavily on earlier works, such as Asclepiodotus, to put together a comprehensive manual of warfare in the Hellenistic period (late 3rd to early 1st centuries BC). His Tactica thus examines all facets of warfare in the period of Alexander the Great's successors, including the arms and armor of cavalry and infantry, formations, commands and signals. Aelian also provides a discussion of the Roman army of the period. As well as being an invaluable source for modern historians studying the Hellenistic period, the book was very influential on military theory long after Aelian's death. Arrian's work on tactics may merely be a revision of Aelian's; the Byzantine Emperor Leo VI used excerpts in his own treatise and an Arabic translation made around 1350 was used to train Muslim armies. Most significantly it became one of the primary training aids for the pike and musket armies of the 16 and 17th century Europe. A substantial edition published in London in 1616 contained a full direct translation as well as comprehensive notes and a treatise on how to apply Aelian's work to the training of English pike formations in the Macedonian manner. It was well used to train the foot regiments that fought the English Civil War. This unique longevity makes it of interest to anyone interested in warfare from the Hellenistic period right up to the English Civil War. Christopher Matthew's new edition is based on the 1616 edition but written in modern English with new renditions of all its accompanying figures. It has the original 1616 notes as well as comprehensive new notes and cross references to the other ancient manuals (such as Arrian and Leo) that drew upon it. It is without a doubt the most up to date version available in any language of this significant work that was influenced tactical thought for 1,500 years.
The Take (Simon Riske #1)
by Christopher ReichFrom New York Times bestselling author Christopher Reich, an international spy thriller featuring Simon Riske: one part James Bond, one part Jack ReacherRiske is a freelance industrial spy who, despite his job title, lives a mostly quiet life above his auto garage in central London. He is hired to perform the odd job for a bank, an insurance company, or the British Secret Service, when he isn't expertly stealing a million-dollar watch off the wrist of a crooked Russian oligarch.Riske has maintained his quiet life by avoiding big, messy jobs; until now. A gangster by the name of Tino Coluzzi has orchestrated the greatest street heist in the history of Paris: a visiting Saudi prince had his pockets lightened of millions in cash, and something else. Hidden within a stolen briefcase is a secret letter that could upend the balance of power in the Western world. The Russians have already killed in an attempt to get it back by the time the CIA comes knocking at Simon's door.Coluzzi was once Riske's brother-in-arms, but their criminal alliance ended with Riske in prison, having narrowly avoided a hit Coluzzi ordered. Now, years later, it is thief against thief, and hot on their trail are a dangerous Parisian cop, a murderous Russian femme fatale, her equally unhinged boss, and perhaps the CIA itself.In the grand tradition of The Day of the Jackal and The Bourne Identity, Christopher Reich's The Take is a stylish, breathtaking ride.
The Takeaway Men: A Novel
by Meryl AinWith the cloud of the Holocaust still looming over them, twin sisters Bronka and Johanna Lubinski and their parents arrive in the US from a Displaced Persons Camp. In the years after World War II, they experience the difficulties of adjusting to American culture as well as the burgeoning fear of the Cold War. Years later, the discovery of a former Nazi hiding in their community brings the Holocaust out of the shadows. As the girls get older, they start to wonder about their parents&’ pasts, and they begin to demand answers. But it soon becomes clear that those memories will be more difficult and painful to uncover than they could have anticipated. Poignant and haunting, The Takeaway Men explores the impact of immigration, identity, prejudice, secrets, and lies on parents and children in mid-twentieth-century America.
The Taking of K-129: How the CIA Used Howard Hughes to Steal a Russian Sub in the Most Daring Covert Operation in History
by Josh DeanAn incredible true tale of espionage and engineering set at the height of the Cold War—a mix between The Hunt for Red October and Argo—about how the CIA, the U.S. Navy, and America’s most eccentric mogul spent six years and nearly a billion dollars to steal the nuclear-armed Soviet submarine K-129 after it had sunk to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean; all while the Russians were watching.In the early hours of February 25, 1968, a Russian submarine armed with three nuclear ballistic missiles set sail from its base in Siberia on a routine combat patrol to Hawaii. Then it vanished.As the Soviet Navy searched in vain for the lost vessel, a small, highly classified American operation using sophisticated deep-sea spy equipment found it—wrecked on the sea floor at a depth of 16,800 feet, far beyond the capabilities of any salvage that existed. But the potential intelligence assets onboard the ship—the nuclear warheads, battle orders, and cryptological machines—justified going to extreme lengths to find a way to raise the submarine.So began Project Azorian, a top-secret mission that took six years, cost an estimated $800 million, and would become the largest and most daring covert operation in CIA history. After the U.S. Navy declared retrieving the sub “impossible,” the mission fell to the CIA's burgeoning Directorate of Science and Technology, the little-known division responsible for the legendary U-2 and SR-71 Blackbird spy planes. Working with Global Marine Systems, the country's foremost maker of exotic, deep-sea drilling vessels, the CIA commissioned the most expensive ship ever built and told the world that it belonged to the reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes, who would use the mammoth ship to mine rare minerals from the ocean floor. In reality, a complex network of spies, scientists, and politicians attempted a project even crazier than Hughes’s reputation: raising the sub directly under the watchful eyes of the Russians. The Taking of K-129 is a riveting, almost unbelievable true-life tale of military history, engineering genius, and high-stakes spy-craft set during the height of the Cold War, when nuclear annihilation was a constant fear, and the opportunity to gain even the slightest advantage over your enemy was worth massive risk.
The Tale Of The Indian Mutiny [Illustrated Edition]
by William Henry FitchettIllustrated with over one hundred maps, photos and portraits, of the battles, individuals and places involved in the Indian Mutiny.William Henry Fitchett was a prodigious author writing many books on British History, perhaps his most famous is his one volume history of the Indian Mutiny. Variously known as the Sepoy Revolt, or the First War of Indian Independence, it blazed a trail across northern India and its repercussions changed the British rule of India for the next century.The great East India Company had for many years grown its influence and that of its British masters across the sub-continent; the main tool for this expansion was the Sepoy regiments of native soldiers that they had welded into a formidable weapon of imperialism. However this transformation was heavy-handed, local customs were ignored, traditions unrespected and religious sensibilities ignored; the native Sepoys grew restless. The spark that lit the powderkeg of resentment was the issue of greased cartridges for the Sepoy's rifles; either greased with pork fat which enraged the Muslims in ranks, or greased with beef tallow appalling the Hindus. Outbreaks of insubordination turned bloody quickly, and led to risings not just of the soldiers but the civilians as well, uncontrollable mobs rent their frustrations in the most barbaric manner and laid siege of Cawnpore and Lucknow capturing Delhi itself. Once the shock had dissipated the British response was rapid, brutal and successful, reliving their besieged forces and crossing the rebels utterly.