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Besarabia: El testigo | La malaventura | El pasajero
by Iliá MitrofanovTres novelas cortas que retratan la vida de unos ciudadanos tras la ocupación de sus tierras por los rusos durante la segunda guerra mundial. Besarabia es un fantasma en el mapa de Europa, una tierra repartida ahora entre Moldavia y Ucrania, un país que la Historia se comió a dentelladas, engulléndolo sin compasión. En ese lugar de nadie vivieron un día hombres y mujeres que intentaban hilvanar su vida mientras por las calles desfilaban botas siempre distintas. Ese es el caso de Fiódor Petrovich, el barbero que nos habla en El testigo, un infeliz ingenuamente convencido de que su habilidad con la navaja, el cuidado que ponía en enjabonar a sus clientes, le salvarían de la tragedia de la invasión rusa a principios de los años 40 del siglo pasado. De Fiódor pasamos a Sabina, la protagonista de La malaventura, una rebelde sin casa y sin causa, pero generosa hasta la locura en su entrega a un amor que va más allá de su comprensión del mundo. Y, para acabar, he aquí el gran Semén Stavraki, que llena las páginas de El pasajero: ciudadano de Odessa, buzo de profesión y marido entregado, el hombre cuenta sus desventuras a un compañero imaginario en un viaje hacia el peor de los destinos. Esta trilogía, que hemos querido titular Besarabia en homenaje a un lugar que pudo ser y ya no es, celebra la fuerza de Mitrofanov y un talento capaz de devolver incluso a los fantasmas una dignidad que creían perdida.
Besieged: Early Modern British Siege Literature, 1642-1722
by Sharon Alker Holly Faith NelsonSiege literature has existed since antiquity but has not always been understood as a crucial element of culture. Focusing on its magnetic force, Besieged brings to light its popularity and potency between the British Civil War and the Great Northern War in Europe, a period in which literary texts reflected an urgent interest in siege mentality and tactics.Exploring the siege as represented in canonical works by Milton, Dryden, Defoe, Davenant, Cowley, Cavendish, and Bunyan, alongside a wide array of little-known memoirs, plays, poems, and works of prose fiction on military and civilian experiences of siege warfare, Besieged breaks new ground in the field of early modern war literature. Sharon Alker and Holly Faith Nelson draw on theories of space and place to show how early modern Britons feverishly worked to make sense of the immediacy, horror, and trauma of urban warfare, offering a valuable perspective on the literature that captured the cultural imagination during and after the traumatic civil wars of the 1640s.Alker and Nelson demonstrate how the narratives of besieged cities became a compelling way to engage with the fragility of urban space, unstable social structures, developing technologies, and the inadequacy of old heroic martial models. Given the reality of urban warfare in our own age, Besieged provides a timely foundation for understanding the history of such spaces and their cultural representation.
Besieged: Seven Cities Under Siege
by J. Bowyer BellJ. Bowyer Bell's Beseiged is built on the premise that as long as men have constructed walls, other men have tried to scale them. From ancient Jericho and Joshua's trumpet to London and the onslaught of the Luftwaffe, people have always devised cunning weapons, with all the skills at their command, to breach such barriers and invade the camps and fortified places of their enemies.Beseiged is the story of seven great modern sieges: Madrid in the Spanish Civil War; London, Warsaw, Singapore and Stalingrad in World War II; Berlin during the Post World War II Airlift; and Jerusalem under Arab attack from four sides in 1947. Bell, a veteran historian, describes in detail the actual battles involved, clearly demonstrating the universality of sieges and siegecraft and showing that all these beleaguered places have things in common and obey certain basic laws or principles.Bell points out commonalities showing, for example, though no bullets were fired during the Berlin Airlift, the city itself was as much under siege as was Warsaw, where the Polish Underground fought a fierce but hopeless battle against Hitler's Wehrmacht. By the same token, Bell shows though no German infantry ever came close to London, it was nonetheless besieged by aerial squadrons just as surely as Stalingrad was by both German and Russian ground forces. The histories of these sieges are ones of heroism and cowardice, meticulous planning and incredible blunders, all of which can be studied and used even currently in similar situations in either defending, or piercing the defenses of, a location in times of unrest or war.Beseiged is a must-read for those interested in modern conflict pondering the enigma of human endeavor in wall building and breaking involved in siegecraft. A must-read for everyone from military strategist aficionados and historians to science and technology buffs. If it is to be believed the danger of not knowing history is the possibility of unknowingly repeating it, then Beseiged should appear on all required reading lists.
Besieged: An Outlander Novella (Outlander)
by Diana GabaldonIn a thrilling tale of courage and survival from Diana Gabaldon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Outlander series, Lord John Grey disembarks in Havana to rescue his family—only to get swept up in a fierce rebellion. This novella, originally published in Seven Stones to Stand or Fall, is now available as a standalone ebook. Lord John Grey is happy. His term as military governor of Jamaica is drawing to a close, and he&’s looking forward to fresh beef and burgoo in North Carolina, rather than endless fish and sea-urchin innards marinated in orange juice. His preparations, alas, are interrupted by the sudden arrival of his mother&’s third husband, General Stanley. &“Your mother&’s in Havana,&” General Stanley said. &“Minding your cousin Olivia.&” This seemed like a moderately respectable thing for an elderly lady to be doing, and Grey relaxed slightly. But only slightly. &“I trust she&’s enjoying the weather.&” He raised an eyebrow at his stepfather, who sighed deeply and put his hands on his knees. &“I&’m sure she is. The problem, my boy, is that the British Navy is on its way to lay siege to the city of Havana, and I really think it would be a good idea if your mother wasn&’t in the city when they get there.&” Lord John agrees, and with the help of his loyal valet, Tom Bird, a recovering ex-zombie named Rodrigo, and Rodrigo&’s wife, Azeel (not a zombie, but resourceful and courageous [well, obviously . . . how much nerve does it take to marry a zombie?]), he sets sail at once for Havana, only to discover upon his arrival that his family isn&’t all that&’s in danger. Slave revolts, murder, an invasion in progress, stubborn mules, and adulterous love are the least of it. . . .
Besieged
by A. J. TataPowerful, thrilling, and explosively authentic, the novels of Brigadier General A.J. Tata have won acclaim from President George W. Bush, Glenn Beck, and the bestselling masters of suspense. In Besieged, he tackles the rise of domestic terrorism in America—and puts his hero, Jake Mahegan, in the crackling center of a firestorm. . .It starts with the unthinkable. A school under siege. A shooter in the classroom. A nightmare scenario that has become all too common in today’s United States. But this time, former Delta Captain Jake Mahegan is there when it happens.Checking in on the schoolteacher daughter of a colleague, Mahegan finds himself face to face with a merciless gunman rigged as a suicide bomber. Without warning, the school is attacked from the outside as well—and all hell breaks loose. The teacher shoots the gunman, Mahegan is knocked unconscious, and a twelve-year-old autistic girl named Misha is kidnapped.When the smoke clears, Mahegan is left with a long list of unanswered questions—and a deeply personal mission to rescue Misha. Racing against the clock, his search will take him from the tech-fueled think-tanks of a North Carolina factory to the top-secret nerve centers of embedded Iranian agents. It’s all part of a bigger, darker conspiracy that’s taking domestic terrorism to a whole new level. And it’s up to Mahegan to stop what could be the most devastating attack in U.S. history. . .
Besieger of Cities
by Alfred DugganEpic historical adventure of one of the most infamous of ancient Macedonians.In the dawning of the Silver Age of Hellas, the Greeks have exchanged political freedom for enormous wealth. But is membership to the new world Empire worth the loss of Liberty? In this new world, any man might be capable of anything. The enigmatic Demetrius believes he can do just that; win back the Empire that his father had helped Alexander to found.Fighting with increasingly ingenious methods, he becomes known for using archers mounted on elephants to conquer castles, and will become one of the most famous men of his time… This epic historical adventure of the ancient Macedonians is perfect for fans of Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell.
El beso francés: Cómo los estadounidenses y los franceses se enamoraron y desencantaron durante la Guerra Fría
by Steve BassettEn 1951, Francia estaba lejos de la recuperación de la Segunda Guerra Mundial y con la caída de los nazis, estaba a punto de comenzar una nueva ocupación militar totalmente diferente. Con los Estados Unidos como punta de lanza, la OTAN estaba avanzando. Al acecho, con todas sus armas, estaba el Partido Comunista Francés. El odio antiestadounidense que se escupía en periódicos y revistas, así como en las emisoras de radio controladas por el partido, resultó insuficiente para detener la construcción de trece bases aéreas estadounidenses que se establecieron en suelo francés, incluido el mayor depósito de suministros aéreos de Europa en Berry, la región más empobrecida del centro de Francia, la estación aérea de Déols-Châteauroux. Es aquí donde comienza nuestra insólita historia de amor franco-estadounidense. No sólo los comunistas, sino también otros grupos antiestadounidenses se unieron a los ataques contra el Tío Sam. El bombardeo publicitario incluía la condena del comportamiento de los soldados, grafitis de «Estadounidenses, váyanse», panfletos en las esquinas, peleas a puñetazos y, en un momento dado, el bloqueo e intento de cierre del CHAS. Los cientos de horas de entrevistas y las fotografías olvidadas hace mucho tiempo proporcionan por primera vez una fusión única de voces que rara vez se escuchan. Ciudadanos franceses y estadounidenses describen cómo sus primeros recelos se transformaron en un aumento de confianza, amistad y, en varios casos, amor y matrimonio. La base aérea mostró la riqueza de los estadounidenses creando un gueto de oro que proporcionaba a los ciudadanos locales una seguridad económica hasta entonces inimaginable. Pero esto no era un lugar exótico ideal, el mercado negro llegaba a todos los niveles de la sociedad y las pagas cada dos meses atraían a las prostitutas de París. «El Beso Francés» recopila una historia de amor de dieciséis años que define la confianza, esperanza, ren
Bessie's War: A heartwarming wartime saga of love and loss for the post office girls
by Pamela EvansA moving and nostalgic saga from Pam Evans, set in London during the Second World War. Perfect for readers of Katie Flynn, Kitty Neale and Dilly Court.It is autumn 1940 and, as the bombs drop on London, a close-knit community struggles to survive. Working at the local post office, Bessie Green does her best to keep her customers' spirits up, but when she receives a telegram addressed to her parents, there's nothing she can do to prevent the heartache that lies ahead. Then Bessie hears that eleven-year-old Daisy Mason has been orphaned in a blast, and she's sure that taking Daisy into their home is just what her parents need to help them overcome their grief. At first, Daisy won't settle, then her handsome brother Josh comes back on leave and things look up for all of them. But the war brings further challenges for Bessie and her friends - with more hearts broken and loved-ones lost - before they can dare to dream of a brighter future...Readers love Pam Evans heartwarming family sagas:'A touching novel' Daily Express'An unforgettable tale of life during the war' Our Time'Nostalgia, heartbreak, danger and war: all the ingredients of an engrossing novel' Bolton News'There's a special kind of warmth that shines through the characters' Lancashire Evening Post'This book touched me very, very much. It's lovely' North Wales Chronicle
Bessie's War: A heartwarming wartime saga of love and loss for the post office girls
by Pamela EvansA moving and nostalgic saga from Pam Evans, set in London during the Second World War. Perfect for readers of Katie Flynn, Kitty Neale and Dilly Court.It is autumn 1940 and, as the bombs drop on London, a close-knit community struggles to survive. Working at the local post office, Bessie Green does her best to keep her customers' spirits up, but when she receives a telegram addressed to her parents, there's nothing she can do to prevent the heartache that lies ahead. Then Bessie hears that eleven-year-old Daisy Mason has been orphaned in a blast, and she's sure that taking Daisy into their home is just what her parents need to help them overcome their grief. At first, Daisy won't settle, then her handsome brother Josh comes back on leave and things look up for all of them. But the war brings further challenges for Bessie and her friends - with more hearts broken and loved-ones lost - before they can dare to dream of a brighter future...Readers love Pam Evans heartwarming family sagas:'A touching novel' Daily Express'An unforgettable tale of life during the war' Our Time'Nostalgia, heartbreak, danger and war: all the ingredients of an engrossing novel' Bolton News'There's a special kind of warmth that shines through the characters' Lancashire Evening Post'This book touched me very, very much. It's lovely' North Wales Chronicle
Bessie's War: A heartwarming wartime saga of love and loss for the post office girls
by Pamela EvansA moving and nostalgic saga from Pam Evans, set in London during wartime. Perfect for readers of Katie Flynn, Kitty Neale and Dilly Court.It is autumn 1940 and, as the bombs rain down on London, a close-knit community struggles to survive. Working at the local post office, Bessie Green does her best to keep her customers' spirits up, but when she receives a telegram addressed to her parents, there's nothing she can do to prevent the heartache that lies ahead. Then Bessie hears that eleven-year-old Daisy Mason has been orphaned in a blast, and she's sure that taking Daisy into their home is just what her parents need to help them overcome their grief. At first, Daisy won't settle, then her handsome brother Josh comes back on leave and things look up for all of them. But the war brings further challenges for Bessie and her friends - with more hearts broken and loved-ones lost - before they can dare to dream of a brighter future...Readers love Pam Evans heartwarming family sagas:'A touching novel' Daily Express'An unforgettable tale of life during the war' Our Time'Nostalgia, heartbreak, danger and war: all the ingredients of an engrossing novel' Bolton News'There's a special kind of warmth that shines through the characters' Lancashire Evening Post'This book touched me very, very much. It's lovely' North Wales Chronicle(P)2020 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
The Best and the Brightest (Modern Library Classics Ser.)
by David HalberstamDavid Halberstam’s masterpiece, the defining history of the making of the Vietnam tragedy, with a new Foreword by Senator John McCain.Using portraits of America’s flawed policy makers and accounts of the forces that drove them, The Best and the Brightest reckons magnificently with the most important abiding question of our country’s recent history: Why did America become mired in Vietnam, and why did we lose? As the definitive single-volume answer to that question, this enthralling book has never been superseded. It is an American classic.
The Best and the Brightest
by Susan WrightEvery year, Starfleet Academy in San Francisco attracts many of the most talented and ambitious young people in the Federation. They come from all over the Alpha Quadrant, from hundreds of worlds and species, to prepare themselves for the challenges of the final frontier. Meet a new generation of cadets: a newly joined Trill just beginning the first of many lives; a Bajoran Vedek who finds himself torn between his vows and an unspoken love; a reckless young man fond of pushing the limits; a feline alien raised among humans; a brilliant but immature young woman with a lot to learn; and a native-born Earth woman with a talent for engineering. Together they will learn about courage, life, teamwork, and themselves. Their future is just beginning -- but one of them will not survive!
Best Destiny: Best Destiny (Star Trek: The Original Series)
by Diane CareyAs James T. Kirk prepares to retire from a long and illustrious Starfleet career, events in a distant part of the Federation draw him back to a part of the galaxy he had last visited as a young man -- a mysterious world called Faramond whose name takes Kirk on a journey back to his youth. At sixteen, Kirk is troubled, estranged from his father, and has a bleak future. However, a trip into space with Kirk's father George and Starfleet legend Captain Robert April changes James Kirk's life forever, when a simple voyage becomes a deadly trap. Soon Kirk and his father find themselves fighting for their lives against a vicious and powerful enemy. Before the voyage ends, father and son will face life and death together, and James T. Kirk will get a glimpse of the future and his own Best Destiny...
Best Foot Forward: The Autobiography of the RAF's Other Legless Fighter Pilot
by Colin Hodgkinson Archibald McIndoeIn the whole of the Second World War, only two men succeeded as operational fighter pilots in the RAF after losing both legs. Douglas Bader was one, and his story is well-known indeed, he has been described as one of the Royal Air Forces most famous pilots. The other was Colin Hodgkinson.Colin was injured in a flying accident whilst training with the Fleet Air Arm in 1939. He awoke in hospital to find that his right leg had been amputated at the thigh, whilst his left leg was severely injured. His face was also damaged and he had trouble with the sight in one eye. In the weeks that followed, Colins remaining leg refused to heal. Coolly, calculatingly, he made his decision: Chop the damned thing off and lets be done with it.Just nineteen at the time, Colin developed a burning determination to prove himself a normal man by becoming a fighter pilot and flying Spitfires. With Douglas Bader as his example, and brilliant surgeons such as Sir Archibald McIndoe treating him, Colin achieved his aim with a hand-tailored pair of tin legs. He proved himself as a fighter pilot many times over, until the war ended, for him at least, as a German prisoner of war.Although repatriated in 1944 as unfit for further duty, Colin not only continued to fly with the RAF until he left the service in 1946, but also went on to fly jet fighters with the Auxiliary Air Force from 1947 to 1952. His is undoubtedly a story of courage and determination one in which he had learnt to always stride out into the future, putting his best foot forward.
The Best Gun in the World: George Woodward Morse and the South Carolina State Military Works
by Robert S. SeiglerA thoroughly researched account of weapons innovation and industrialization in South Carolina during the Civil War and the man who made it happen.A year after seceding from the Union, South Carolina and the Confederate States government faced the daunting challenge of equipping soldiers with weapons, ammunition, and other military implements during the American Civil War. In The Best Gun in the World, Robert S. Seigler explains how South Carolina created its own armory and then enlisted the help of a weapons technology inventor to meet the demand. Seigler mined state and federal factory records, national and state archives, and US patents for detailed information on weapons production, the salaries and status of free and enslaved employees, and other financial records to reveal an interesting, distinctive story of technological innovation and industrialization in South Carolina.George Woodward Morse, originally from New Hampshire, was a machinist and firearms innovator, who settled in Louisiana in the 1840s. He invented a reliable breechloading firearm in the mid-1850s to replace muzzleloaders that were ubiquitous throughout the world. Essential to the successful operation of any breechloader was its ammunition, and Morse perfected the first metallic, center-fire, pre-primed cartridge, his most notable contribution to the development of modern firearms.The US War Department tested Morse rifles and cartridges prior to the beginning of the Civil War and contracted with the inventor to produce the weapons at Harpers Ferry Armory. However, when the war began, Morse, a slave-holding plantation owner, determined that he could sell more of his guns in the South. The South Carolina State Military Works originally designed to cast cannon, produced Morse’s carbine and modified muskets, brass cartridges, cartridge boxes, and other military accoutrements. The armory ultimately produced only about 1,350 Morse firearms. For the next twenty years, Morse sought to regain his legacy as the inventor of the center-fire brass cartridges that are today standard ammunition for military and sporting firearms.“Does justice to one of the greatest stories in American firearms history. If George Woodward Morse had not sided with the Confederacy, his name might be as famous today as Colt or Winchester.” —Gordon L. Jones, Atlanta History Center “Excellent and well-researched.” —Patrick McCawley, South Carolina Department of Archives and History“For connoisseurs and scholars of military history (especially Civil War), history of technology, or Southern/South Carolina history, this is a must-read and reference volume pertaining to a previously little-known aspect of the nineteenth century that had a far-reaching impact in the manner wars would be fought by soldiers decades later.” —Barry L. Stiefel, College of Charleston
Best Little Stories from the American Revolution: More Than 100 True Stories (2nd edition)
by C. Brian Kelly150 true stories from those who lived it bring to life the triumph and tragedy of the American Revolution. Prize-winning journalist C. Brian Kelly has collected the most riveting letters, diaries, and autobiographies from the people who lived during the Revolutionary War, weaving in pertinent historical background to create this compelling collection of stories. Readers will discover the history of the war as it affected soldiers, leaders, and common folk, going beyond the usual recounting of strategic battles. Here in vivid detail are the experiences of the people who lived the war and the dreams and aspirations that prodded them to pursue liberty at all costs.
Best Little Stories from the American Revolution: More Than 100 True Stories
by Ingrid Smyer-Kelly C. Brian Kelly"Best Little Stories from the American Revolution", by C. Brian Kelly, is a journalistic history of the birth of the United States in the form of more than 100 vignettes reflecting the period and describing how the colonies courageously prevailed against vastly superior forces.
Best Little Stories from the Civil War: More Than 100 True Stories
by C. Brian KellyBehind the bloody battles, strategic marches, and decorated generals lie more than 100 intensely personal, true stories you haven't heard before. In Best Little Stories from the Civil War, soldiers describe their first experiences in battle, women observe the advances and retreats of armies, spies recount their methods, and leaders reveal the reasoning behind many of their public actions.
Best Little Stories from World War I
by C. Brian Kelly Ingrid SmyerBehind the tangled alliances, feuding royals, and deadly battles are the nearly 100 riveting true stories of the men and women who lived, fought, and survived the first Great War. Based on the writings of soldiers, politicians, kings, nurses, and military leaders, Best Little Stories from World War I humanizes their foibles, triumphs, and tragedies--and chronicles how the emergence of fervent national pride led not only to ruthless combat, but a critical turning point in the twentieth century.Fascinating characters come to life, including:Lady Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnavon, who turned her husband's Highclere Castle into a luxurious military hospital for British officers (and inspired the hit television show Downton Abbey). Otto Roosen, the high-flying German reconnaissance pilot, who was shot down not only one but twice--first by the Canadian ace Billy Bishop and then by a fellow German--and survived.Arthur Guy Empey, the American who volunteered for the British Army after the sinking of the Lusitania, then wrote a bestselling memoir about life in the muddy trenches of the western front.
Best Little Stories from World War II
by C. Brian KellyBEHIND THE GREAT POWERS , global military conflict, and infamous battles are more than 100 incredible stories that bring to life the Second World War. During the six years of war were countless little-known moments of profound triumph and tragedy, bravery and cowardice, and good and evil. These amazing and unbelievable stories of brotherhood, redemption, escape, and civilian courage shed new light on the war that gripped the entire world. Experience the action through the eyes of people like: Lieutenant Jacob Beser, who was aboard both the Enola Gay and Bock's Car and felt the force of the shockwave that nearly destroyed the planes after dropping the H-bombs that obliterated Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Professor William Miller, who collapsed during a death march of POWs in Germany and was saved by the same man who had rescued him from what would have been a fatal car wreck in Pennsylvania five years earlier. The brave civilians who answered the British Admiralty's call to help rescue an army from Dunkirk during the height of a dangerous battle and sailed small fishing boats into relentless German fire, ultimately saving 335,000 men from
Best Little Stories from World War II: More Than 100 True Stories
by C. Brian Kelly Ingrid SmyerBest Little Stories of World War II is a journalistic history of World War II in the form of more than 150 vignettes reflecting the war\'s humor and pathos, triumph and tragedy. Here is the story of the war as it affected soldiers and civilians, leaders and common folk alike real people who bravely endured the times. While one can never learn or tell all their stories, one can honor their memories by recounting their amazing, inspiring, poignant, ironic, and yes, even pitiful stories in this war to end all wars. Included are such stories as: Professor William Miller, who collapsed during a 75-mile "death march" in Germany and was saved b the same man who had rescued him from a car wreck in Pennsylvania five years earlier. Karl Fuchs, a German tank gunner who wrote tender letters to his wife as his Panzer division invaded Russia. Jim Kilroy, worker at a shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, whose say of signing off on his inspections became the morale-boosting slogan for countless GI\'s: "Kilroy was here. " Kasuo Sakamaki, pilot of a midget submarine who was captured after a failed attempt to infiltrate Pearl Harbor. "Kitty," the diary of a Jewish teenager in Amsterdam rescued after the war by her father and published in thirty-two languages as Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl. These and many more stories and anecdotes fill the pages of this fascinating book that will make World War II come alive with the thoughts and feelings of those who were there.
The Best Military Science Fiction of the 20th Century
by Harry Turtledove Martin H. GreenbergExplosive battles fought across the boundaries of time and space and on the frontiers of the human mind. Science fiction's finest have yielded this definitive collection featuring stories of warfare, victory, conquest, heroism, and overwhelming odds.
Best of Breed: The Hunter in Fighter Reconnaissance
by Nigel WalpoleThis book is about the tactical reconnaissance mark of the Hunter FR10 and its front line operation between 1961-70. With the Hunter already well proven in ground attack role this variant was an ideal platform for the excellent Vinten F95 strip aperture cameras. The heavy armament of four 30-mm Aden cannon was retained for use in defence suppression and target marking, unilateral action against high value targets (assigned or opportunity) and if necessary in self-defence. It follows that the pilots selected for this demanding operating regime had to show an ability to operate alone over long distances using basic pilot navigation techniques only at high speeds and ultra low levels; in the main, therefore, they were second or third tour fast jet pilots.
Best of Enemies: The Last Great Spy Story of the Cold War
by Gus RussoThe thrilling story of two Cold War spies, CIA case officer Jack Platt and KGB agent Gennady Vasilenko -- improbable friends at a time when they should have been anything but.In 1978, CIA maverick Jack Platt and KGB agent Gennady Vasilenko were new arrivals on the Washington, DC intelligence scene, with Jack working out of the CIA's counterintelligence office and Gennady out of the Soviet Embassy. Both men, already notorious iconoclasts within their respective agencies, were assigned to seduce the other into betraying his country in the urgent final days of the Cold War, but instead the men ended up becoming the best of friends-blood brothers. Theirs is a friendship that never should have happened, and their story is chock full of treachery, darkly comic misunderstandings, bureaucratic inanity, the Russian Mafia, and landmark intelligence breakthroughs of the past half century.In BEST OF ENEMIES, two espionage cowboys reveal how they became key behind-the-scenes players in solving some of the most celebrated spy stories of the twentieth century, including the crucial discovery of the Soviet mole Robert Hanssen, the 2010 Spy Swap which freed Gennady from Soviet imprisonment, and how Robert De Niro played a real-life role in helping Gennady stay alive during his incarceration in Russia after being falsely accused of spying for the Americans. Through their eyes, we see the distinctions between the Russian and American methods of conducting espionage and the painful birth of the new Russia, whose leader, Vladimir Putin, dreams he can roll back to the ideals of the old USSR.
The Best Of Enemies
by Taylor SmithA tranquil New England town is rocked to its core when a young college co-ed is linked to a devastating crime and then goes missing. Innocent or guilty, someone thinks she knows too much. One woman, who believes in the girl's innocence, is determined to find her before she's silenced--forever.