Cold wars and proxy conflicts Books

Book SynopsisWhy would an American girl-child, born into a good, Irish-Catholic family in the thick of the McCarthy era – a girl who, when she came of age, entered a convent – morph into an atheist, feminist, and Marxist? The answer is in Helena Sheehan’s fascinating account of her journey from her 1940s and 1950s beginnings, into the turbulent 1960s, when the Vietnam War, black power, and women’s liberation rocked her bedrock assumptions and prompted a volley of life-upending questions – questions shared by millions of young people of her generation. But, for Helena Sheehan, the increasingly radicalized answers deepened through the following decades. Beginning by overturning such certainties as America-is-the-world’s-greatest-country and the-Church-is-infallible, Sheehan went on to embrace existentialism, philosophical pragmatism, the new left, and eventually Marxism. Migrating from the United States to Ireland, she became involved with Irish republicanism and international communism in the 1970s and 1980s. Sheehan’s narrative vividly captures the global sweep and contradictions of second-wave feminism, anti-war activism, national liberation movements, and international communism in Eastern and Western Europe – as well as the quieter intellectual ferment of individuals living through these times. Navigating the Zeitgeist is an eloquently articulated voyage from faith to enlightenment to historical materialism that informs as well as entertains. This is the story of a well-lived political and philosophical life, told by a woman who continues to interrogate her times.Trade Review“An uncompromisingly honest and utterly fascinating memoir from the drowned continent that was once western communism.” —Mike Davis, author of City of Quartz and Planet of Slums

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Book SynopsisConvention on the definition of aggression signed on 3 July 1933, established the borders of modern Romania.As in the case of its neighbours, Czechoslovakia and Poland, revisionist currents in Europe during the interwar period threatened Romania's newly established frontiers, one of the most serious threats being posed by the Soviet Union which sought to regain possession of Bessarabia, a Romanian territory that had been occupied by Russia from 1812-1918.This is a comprehensive account of the efforts of Romanian diplomacy during the interwar period to protect Bessarabia from the Soviet threat and the diplomatic and military events that led to the forcible occupation of the Romanian territories of Bessarabia and Northern Bucovina by the Soviet Union in the summer of 1940.The author not only provides an important account of Romanian diplomacy during this period, but also sheds light on the foreign policies of the Western powers, the Soviet Union, and Nazi Germany in this area of Europe. It is a key work on Romanian foreign policy during the interwar period and a necessary addition to any research library.

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Book SynopsisBringing together noted scholars in the fields of literary, cultural, gender, and race studies, this edited volume challenges us to reconsider our understanding of the Cold War, revealing it to be a global phenomenon rather than just a binary conflict between U.S. and Soviet forces. Shining a spotlight on writers from the war's numerous fronts and applying lenses of race, gender, and decolonization, the essayists present several new angles from which to view the tense global showdown that lasted roughly a half-century. Ultimately, they reframe the Cold War not merely as a divide between the Soviet Union and the United States, but between nations rich and poor, and mostly white and mostly not. By emphasizing the global dimensions of the Cold War, this innovative collection reveals emergent forms of post-WWII empire that continue to shape our world today, thereby raising the question of whether the Cold War has ever fully ended.

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Book SynopsisHave you ever thought about what really goes on behind the walls of the White House or the Pentagon? Particularly in times of political upheaval, it often seems that the government and the media work together to keep the voting public confused and distracted. In Warriors of Disinformation, Alvin A. Snyder, a former director of USIA’s Television and Film Service, reveals the various propaganda campaigns sent out by the United States during the Cold War, one of the most strained, uncertain times in American political history. Snyder examines the “shady” billion-dollar dealings dedicated to “an exaggerated version of the truth,” and how President Reagan deceived the Soviets with well-plotted plans of fabrication. Readers will be shocked by the lengths that our government went to in order to hide the truth, and to consistently lie to not only the Soviets, but also to the American people about what was going on in the “land of the free.” Warriors of Disinformation is an incredible look inside the government from someone who was on the front line. Hear stories that were never supposed to leave confidential meeting rooms and find out firsthand what went on behind closed doors. Snyder has a story to tell you, and you’d be crazy not to listen.

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Book SynopsisThe generation of young men and women who joined the British Army during the mid to late 1980s would serve their country during an unprecedented period of history. Unlike the two world war generations, they would never face total war – there was never any declaration of war and there was no one single country to defeat. In fact, it was supposed to have been the end of a war, a time of peace and stability. Politicians started to use the term, Peace Dividend, with government officials even planning on how and where it should be spent. But for those in the military, the two decades following the end of the Cold War would not be a time of peace. Government spending and the size of the military was reduced but the Army's commitments increased exponentially. Those serving not only faced continuous deployment in overseas operations, they would also be involved in immense upheavals that took place within the army. When the Berlin Wall came down, the British Army had not changed for decades. The ending of the Cold War, combined with a technological revolution, a changing society at home, and new global threats mean that the Army of the second decade of the twentieth-first century – the army this generation of soldiers is now retiring from – is unrecognizable from the one they joined in the late 1980s. This is the story of the soldiers who served in the British Army in those tumultuous decades.Trade Review...a powerful, brutally honest, soldier’s account of the operational, societal and morale challenges faced by the British Army from the moment the Berlin Wall fell. * Military Historical Society Bulletin 11/05/2021 *…an enjoyable and well researched history. […] It is a must read for anyone with an interest in how the army has continued beyond 1991, and probably should be read by many of ARRSE's old and bold who are still stuck in the cold war. * Army Rumour Service 16/08/2021 *This is an absorbing analysis of what it was like to serve during the most intense series of operations since the Second World War. […] It is an insightful review fo the cultural shifts, the impact of almost continuous overseas deployment and the disruption created by ever-changing policies. * Soldier Magazine 11/05/2021 *Andrew Richards provides a thoroughly absorbing account made all the more interesting due to the wide-ranging contributions of men and women who were there, did the jobs, experienced the changes and often have the scars to prove it. An excellent read. * Love Reading 02/08/2021 *Table of Contents1. Growing up in Thatcher's Britain; 2. Tear Down the Wall; 3 Train hard, Fight easy; 4. The Short Peace; 5. The Peace Dividend and Options for Change; 6. Racism and the ECHR Ruling – No Option but Change; 7. The Balkans; 8. Model Military Intervention – Kosovo and Sierra Leone; 9. Women in the Army; 10. The Home Front; 11. Northern Ireland the Good Friday Agreement; 12. 9/11; 13. The invasion of Iraq; 14. Afghanistan; 15. Terrorism, Security, the Olympic Games and Royal Wootton Bassett; The Aftermath

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Book SynopsisAn engaging first-hand memoir of life in the Royal Navy during the Cold WarTony Beasley joined the Royal Navy as a teenager in 1946. This biography recalls the adventures he had during his time in the Navy, from training and specialisation as a telegraphist to being unexpectedly sent to work on submarines. He describes what it was like to work on a submarine during the Cold War, and describes the patrols and missions he was involved in, in particular when the submarine he was serving on was sent to the Barents Sea to undertake covert operations, namely to spy on the Soviet Fleet. Before this mission the crew of the submarine were advised that if anything went wrong it 'never happened'. Needless to say it did go wrong. Tony emerged a hero, but a hero who wasn't allowed to tell anyone where he had been or what he had done. Now in his eighties, Tony finally gets to tell his story.Trade Review...the whole book is a good read...a first class story, giving an excellent picture of the early post war navy and is well recommended. * Scuttlebutt *...his accounts of service in in frigates in the 1950s and ELINT training at HMS Mercury make good reading.. * Warships International *Memories of a life spent at sea are told with a refreshing mix of dark humour and brutal honesty. * Chichester Observer *If you are interested in the Royal Navy or even Cold War history, there is stuff here to help expand your knowledge. * War History Online *A controversial account of a Royal Navy submariners’ experiences, good and bad, in the Cold War. * Naval Review *...his accounts of service in in frigates in the 1950s and ELINT training at HMS Mercury make good reading.. * Navy News *Table of ContentsIntroduction Prologue Mum, what’s war? A boy sailor Early days at sea A life above water, not under it The art of radar; Run silent, run deep Sputnik; HMS Devonshire Applying for a war pension Epilogue Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisIt is a little-known fact that during the Cold War, two U.S. Army Special Forces detachments were stationed far behind the Iron Curtain in West Berlin. The existence and missions of the two detachments were highly classified secrets.The massive armies of the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies posed a huge threat to the nations of Western Europe. US military planners decided they needed a plan to slow the juggernaut they expected when and if a war began. The plan was Special Forces Berlin. The first 40 men who came to Berlin in mid-1956 were soon reinforced by 60 more and these 100 soldiers (and their successors) would stand ready to go to war at only two hours’ notice, in a hostile area occupied by nearly one million Warsaw Pact forces, until 1990.Their mission should hostilities commence was to wreak havoc behind enemy lines, and buy time for vastly outnumbered NATO forces to conduct a breakout from the city. In reality it was an ambitious and extremely dangerous mission, even suicidal. Highly trained and fluent in German, each man was allocated a specific area. They were skilled in clandestine operations, sabotage, intelligence tradecraft and able to act if necessary as independent operators, blending into the local population and working unseen in a city awash with spies looking for information on their every move.Special Forces Berlin was a one of a kind unit that had no parallel. It left a legacy of a new type of soldier expert in unconventional warfare, one that was sought after for other deployments including the attempted rescue of American hostages from Tehran in 1979. With the U.S. government officially acknowledging their existence in 2014, their incredible story can now be told.Trade ReviewHis [Stejskal's] intimate knowledge of special operations in Berlin, personal experiences, and passion shine through in his writing, resulting in an enjoyable and engaging book that places readers in the visual environment he creates. * The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters *...a dramatically gripping account… * Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International *

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Book SynopsisThis book details the Soviet Military Liaison Mission (SMLM) in West Germany and the U.S. Military Liaison Mission (USMLM) in East Germany as microcosms of the Cold War strategic intelligence and counterintelligence landscape. Thirty years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Soviet and U.S. Military Liaison Missions are all but forgotten. Their operation was established by a post-WWII Allied occupation forces' agreement, and missions had relative freedom to travel and collect intelligence throughout East and West Germany from 1947 until 1990.This book addresses Cold War intelligence and counterintelligence in a manner that provides a broad historical perspective and then brings the reader to a never-before documented artifact of Cold War history. The book details the intelligence/counterintelligence dynamic that was among the most emblematic of the Cold War. Ultimately, the book addresses a saga that remains one of the true Cold War enigmas.Trade ReviewMeticulously researched and incisively written, Magee provides an unprecedented survey of the counterintelligence war between the US and the USSR from the strategic level down to the countrysides of West and East Germany where the MLMs operated. He uses never before seen information to objectively analyse how both sides operated and tried to thwart their opponent’s effort … The Cold War Wilderness of Mirrors is Cold War history at its best. * James Stejskal, author of Special Forces Berlin: Clandestine Cold War Operations of the US Army’s Elite, 1956–1990 24/05/2021 *Table of ContentsPast is Prologue Introduction PART I: HISTORY AND EVOLUTION Chapter 1: The History of the Military Liaison Missions Chapter 2: The Evolution of the Military Liaison Mission Game PART II: THE WILDERNESS OF MIRRORS Chapter 3: The Strategic Wilderness of Mirrors Chapter 4: Opportunities Lost Prior to the Dark Era of Counterintelligence Chapter 5: The U.S. Military Liaison Mission Microcosm Chapter 6: Reflections in the Soviet Military Liaison Mission, Frankfurt Wilderness PART III: THE FINAL DECADE AND THE BATTLE THAT TIME FORGOT Chapter 7: The Rapid Maturation of Department of Defense Counterintelligence in Europe Chapter 8: The Final Reflection in the Cold War Wilderness of Mirrors Chapter 9: The Last Counterintelligence Battles of the Cold War Epilogue Appendix 1: Post-Cold War Revelations Appendix 2: The USMLM Legacy Appendix 3: The Huebner–Malinin Agreement Glossary of Abbreviations and Terms A Note on Sources Selected Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA person strapped to a polygraph machine. Nervous eyes, sweaty brow, the needle trembling up and down. Few images are more evocative of Cold War paranoia.In this first comprehensive history of the polygraph as a tool and symbol of American Cold War policies, John Philipp Baesler tells the story of a technology with weak scientific credentials that was nevertheless celebrated as a device that could expose both internal and external enemies. Considered the go-to technology to test agents' and employees' loyalty, the polygraph's true power was to expose deep ideological and political fault lines. While advocates praised it as America's hard-nosed yet fair answer to communist brainwashing, critics claimed that its use undermined the very values of justice, equality, and the presumption of innocence for which the nation stood.Clearer Than Truth demonstrates that what began as quick-fix technology promising a precise test of honesty and allegiance eventually came to embody tensions in American Cold War culture between security and freedom, concerns that reach deep into the present day.

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Book SynopsisIn Every Home a Fortress, Thomas Bishop details the remarkable cultural history and personal stories behind an iconic figure of Cold War masculinity -- the fallout shelter father, who, with spade in hand and the canned goods he has amassed, sought to save his family from atomic warfare. Putting policy documents and presidential addresses into conversation with previously unmined personal letters, diaries, local media coverage, and antinuclear ephemera, Bishop demonstrates that the nuclear crisis years of 1957 to 1963 were not just pivotal for the history of international relations but were also a transitional moment in the social histories of the white middle class and American fatherhood. During this era, public concerns surrounding civil defense shaped private family conversations, and the fallout shelter emerged as a site at which ideas of nationhood, national security, and masculinity collided with the complex reality of trying to raise and protect a family in the nuclear age.Trade Review“Moving beyond the customary view of Cold War civil defense as a monumental failure to mobilize the public, Bishop provides an insightful, fascinating examination of fathers who took action to protect their families from the expected horror of nuclear war.”- David F. Krugler, author of This Is Only a Test: How Washington D.C. Prepared for Nuclear War ; “Bishop does yeoman’s work in bringing nuclear Cold War scholarship into the realm of masculinity and makes a key contribution.”- Robert A. Jacobs, author of The Dragon’s Tail: Americans Face the Atomic AgeTable of Contents Introduction Chapter One The Log Cabin of the Nuclear Age Chapter Two The Fallout Shelter Father on the New Frontier Chapter Three Fatherhood in the Target Zone Building a Fallout Shelter in Colorado Chapter Four Family Room of Tomorrow: Fallout Shelter Salesmen Chapter Five Fatherhood, Survival and Violence at the Shelter Doorway Conclusion Take to the Hills: Fatherhood and Survival in the Nuclear Age and Beyond

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Book SynopsisFor almost half a century, the hottest front in the Cold War was right across Berlin. From summer 1945 until 1990, the secret services of NATO and the Warsaw Pact fought an ongoing duel in the dark. Throughout the Cold War, espionage was part of everyday life in both East and West Berlin, with German spies playing a crucial part of operations on both sides: Erich Mielke's Stasi and Reinhard Gehlen's Federal Intelligence Service, for example.The construction of the wall in 1961 changed the political situation and the environment for espionage - the invisible front was now concreted and unmistakable. but the fundamentals had not changed: Berlin was and would remain the capital of spies until the fall of the Berlin Wall, a fact which makes it all the more surprising that there are hardly any books about the work of the secret services in Berlin during the Cold War. Journalist Sven Felix Kellerhoff and historian Bernd von Kostka describe the spectacular successes and failures of the various secret services based in the city.Trade ReviewA brilliant and totally authoritative account of espionage activities in the city that was at the centre of Cold War spying. Completely fascinating. * William Boyd, award-winning and best-selling author 04/08/2021 *Table of ContentsForeword SPY HUB BERLIN RESURRECTED FROM THE RUINS DIGGING FOR GOLD LICENCE TO SPY EARLY CONFRONTATION MIELKE'S MEN IN THE "ESPIONAGE JUNGLE" COLD WAR PRACTICE Conclusion Appendix Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisDuring the Cold War, the Central Intelligence Agency's biggest and longest paramilitary operation was in the tiny kingdom of Laos. Hundreds of advisors and support personnel trained and led guerrilla formations across the mountainous Laotian countryside, as well as running smaller road-watch and agent teams that stretched from the Ho Chi Minh Trail to the Chinese frontier. Added to this number were hundreds of contract personnel providing covert aviation services.It was dangerous work. On the Memorial Wall at the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, nine stars are dedicated to officers who perished in Laos. On top of this are more than one hundred from propriety airlines killed in aviation mishaps between 1961 and 1973. Combined, this grim casualty figure is orders of magnitude larger than any other CIA paramilitary operation.But for the Foreign Intelligence officers at Langley, Laos was more than a paramilitary battleground. Because of its geographic location as a buffer state, as well as its trifurcated political structure, Laos was a unique Cold War melting pot. All three of the Lao political factions, including the communist Pathet Lao, had representation in Vientiane. The Soviet Union had an extremely active embassy in the capital, while the People's Republic of China - though in the throes of the Cultural Revolution - had multiple diplomatic outposts across the kingdom. So, too, did both North and South Vietnam. All of this made Laos fertile ground for clandestine operations. This book comprehensively details the cloak-and-dagger side of the war in Laos for the first time, from agent recruitments to servicing dead-drops in Vientiane.Trade Review...offers a good spy tale and is a well-researched and credible history. It is a valuable addition to the intelligence literature. * International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence 26/10/2022 *...sheds light brighter than any spy fiction on an important aspect of the Indochina experience. * John Prados, author of Vietnam: The History of an Unwinnable War, 1945-1975 25/06/2021 *People in the book—friends and foes—come through clearly in Conboy’s thoughtful vignettes about them. He presents backgrounds of many men and a few women in a manner that personalizes each—for good or for bad. Some of them practically walk off the page and greet the reader. * The VVA Veteran *...a masterful book on the secret exploits of the Central Intelligence Agency […] This is is a “must read” for anyone interested in the Indochina Wars and some operations that have never been recorded before. * Barry Broman, author of Risk Taker, Spy Maker 25/06/2021 *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Chapter One Growing Pains Chapter Two The Young Turks Chapter Three Hell is a City Chapter Four Apéritif Chapter Five The Teams Chapter Six The Flying Squad Chapter Seven The Holy Grail Chapter Eight Hard Target Chapter Nine Rock and a Hard Place Chapter Ten The Art of Seduction Chapter Eleven Suspicious Minds Chapter Twelve Writing on the Wall Chapter Thirteen Eye of the Hurricane Chapter Fourteen Surreptitious Entries Chapter Fifteen Dénouement Chapter Sixteen Cloak and Keris

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Book SynopsisThe Thunderbolts of VMFA-251 were reactivated as a Marine Air Reserve squadron in 1946. Their Cold War only included a few weeks of traditional combat operations face=Calibri>– in Korea – but they would undertake constant training exercises and deployments from 1946 to 1991 as they prepared for a potential war against the USSR or China, the two giants of Communism. From South Korea to Norway to Turkey and points in between, the Thunderbolts found themselves defending the free world and living up to their motto, Custos Caelorum.Following the end of the Korean War, the squadron remained in the Far East until 1956. Back in the States it began flying the FJ-3 Fury, a jet fighter, before converting to its first supersonic fighter, the F-8U “Crusader”. In early 1962, it was the first Marine F-8 squadron to deploy aboard an aircraft carrier, as part of CVW-10 (Carrier Air Wing) aboard the USS Shangri-La. During deployment in the Mediterranean Sea, the squadron set a record for the most flight time in one month for a Sixth Fleet-based F-8 squadron by flying over 500 hours. In 1964, the Thunderbolts were the first Marine squadron in 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing to transition to the F-4B “Phantom II,” which they would fly for 21 years and 80,000 flight hours, until transitioning to the F/A-18 “Hornet” in 1987.These deployments and exercises, while not “at war,” were not without dangers. The Thunderbolts lost many personnel and aircraft, but they persevered as the armed forces of freedom-loving nations faced the ongoing threat of communism for over four decades. Compiled from archive records and interviews by a veteran of VMFA-251, this account narrates how the Thunderbolts worked hard to maintain the peace. They were indeed Custodians of the Sky.Table of ContentsChapter One: A Recap of World War II Chapter Two: Reactivation Chapter Three: The Korean War Chapter Four: Keeping the Peace Chapter Five: The Jet Age Begins Chapter Six: The Phantom Years Chapter Seven: The Fall of the Iron Curtain Appendices

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Book SynopsisShortlisted forthe Orwell Prize 2023As seen in The Times, Sunday Times, Spectator, and on Tonight with Andrew Marr (LBC)Under President Xi Jinping, China''s global ambitions have taken a dangerous new turn. Bullying and intimidation have replaced diplomacy. Trade and investment, even big-spending tourists and students, have been weaponised. Beijing has strengthened its alliance with Vladimir Putin, supporting Russia''s aggression in Ukraine, and brooks no criticism of its own flagrant human rights violations against the Uyghur population in western China.Leaders in the West say they don''t want a cold war with China, but it''s a little late for that. Beijing is already waging a more complex, broader and more dangerous cold war than the old one with the Soviet Union. And it is intensifying.This thought-provoking and alarming book examines this new cold war''s many fronts - from Taiwan and the South China Sea to the Indian frontier, the Arctic and cyberspace. In doing so it proclaims the

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Book SynopsisThe inside story of modern spying, from the Cold War to the ongoing War on Terror, drawing on recently released files.

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Book SynopsisBBC Radio 4 Book of the Week 'It was time for a vivid, popular history of the Cold War, and this is it' The Times 'Essential ... endlessly fascinating ... to read Sixsmith is to want to read more Sixsmith' Forbes More than any other conflict, the Cold War was fought on the battlefield of the human mind. Nearly thirty years since the collapse of the Soviet Union, its legacy still endures: not only in our politics, but in our own thoughts and fears. Drawing on a vast array of untapped archives and unseen sources, Martin Sixsmith vividly recreates the tensions and paranoia of the Cold War, framing it for the first time from a psychological perspective. Revisiting towering personalities like Khrushchev, Kennedy and Nixon, as well as the lives of the unknown millions who were caught up in the conflict, this is a gripping account of fear itself - one which is more resonant than ever today.Trade ReviewEssential ... endlessly fascinating ... to read Sixsmith is to want to read more Sixsmith * Forbes *An ambitious study of the cold war ... filled with fascinating insights into the psychology of one of the most dangerous periods in world history ... illuminating -- PD Smith * Guardian *There have been many histories of the cold war, but the virtue and originality of Mr Sixsmith's is to see almost every aspect of the stand-off in psychological terms * Economist *Written with exemplary clarity and full of succulent anecdotes ... Sixsmith's huge canvas encompasses the Space Race, the motivations of the Cambridge spies, and the details of Project MK Ultra * The Daily Telegraph *Peppered with anecdotes, archival nuggets and flashes of insight ... stands out from other Cold War narratives by [its] sheer range of cultural references and detail ... it was time for a vivid, popular history of the Cold War, and this is it * The Times *This fascinating study of Cold War psychology also has much to teach us about contemporary tensions -- Vin Arthey * Scotsman *Praise for Martin Sixsmith: 'Sixsmith has the knack of delivering complex material with a clear voice * The Times *A lively chronicle -- Orlando Figes * Sunday Times *Russia, a 1,000 Year Chronicle of the Wild East contains many of the required ingredients to become the leading popular history of Russia. Colloquial, personal and anecdotal in style ... well researched and factually sound. * TLS *Russia delivers a thoroughly satisfying history...a lively opinionated narrative. * Publishers Weekly *

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Book Synopsis'Essential ... endlessly fascinating ... to read Sixsmith is to want to read more Sixsmith' Forbes More than any other conflict, the Cold War was fought on the battlefield of the human mind. And, nearly thirty years since the collapse of the Soviet Union, its legacy still endures - not only in our politics, but in our own thoughts, and fears. Drawing on a vast array of untapped archives and unseen sources, Martin Sixsmith vividly recreates the tensions and paranoia of the Cold War, framing it for the first time from a psychological perspective. Revisiting towering personalities like Khrushchev, Kennedy and Nixon, as well as the lives of the unknown millions who were caught up in the conflict, this is a gripping account of fear itself - and in today's uncertain times, it is more resonant than ever.Trade ReviewAn ambitious study of the cold war ... filled with fascinating insights into the psychology of one of the most dangerous periods in world history ... illuminating -- P.D. James * Guardian *There have been many histories of the cold war, but the virtue and originality of Mr Sixsmith's is to see almost every aspect of the stand-off in psychological terms * Economist *Written with exemplary clarity and full of succulent anecdotes ... Sixsmith's huge canvas encompasses the Space Race, the motivations of the Cambridge spies, and the details of Project MK Ultra * Daily Telegraph *[Sixsmith] has found another way of telling the story of the Cold War, one that laces history with the mind games that were played by both sides ... a good read ... peppered with anecdote, archival nuggets and short flashes of insight ... The book stands out from other Cold War narratives by its introduction of psychological theorising ... It was time for a vivid popular history of the Cold War, and this is it. -- Roger Boyes * The Times *Essential ... endlessly fascinating ... to read Sixsmith is to want to read more Sixsmith * Forbes *This fascinating study of Cold War psychology also has much to teach us about contemporary tensions -- Vin Arthey * Scotsman *Praise for Martin Sixsmith: 'Sixsmith has the knack of delivering complex material with a clear voice * The Times *A lively chronicle -- Orlando Figes * Sunday Times *Russia, a 1,000 Year Chronicle of the Wild East contains many of the required ingredients to become the leading popular history of Russia. Colloquial, personal and anecdotal in style ... well researched and factually sound. * TLS *Has a greater resonance now than ever * An Consantoir *Russia delivers a thoroughly satisfying history...a lively opinionated narrative. * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisThor: Anatomy of a Weapon System examines the technical aspects of the Thor Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile system as based in the UK during the period 1958 to 1963. Thor has a unique part to play in our Cold War heritage; it was the first operational ballistic missile system deployed in the western world and the only venture by the Royal Air Force into such a weapon system. This book describes the missile, its construction, systems and subsystems and the associated ground support equipment in detail. The guidance system, the "brain" of the missile, and as a result, the most complex of the missile's systems, is conveniently spread across two chapters, separating the airborne elements from the ground based components. The missile guidance description includes an illustrated sub section devoted to the basic principles governing the all - important gyroscopes, vital for controlled flight and navigation. Ballistics and how the properties of the earth affect the missile's flight to its target are also discussed. The ground based guidance chapter describes in detail, with accompanying drawings, the set up and alignment of the guidance system for the required target and the use of the "mysterious" theodolites. Explanations are in "plain English" and any associated mathematics is kept simple and, where possible, avoided altogether. Thor's liquid propellants are subject to inspection with an explanation of how these fuels are produced, stored on site, loaded and their associated ever - present dangers. Chapters are dedicated to the development of the re-entry vehicle (the nose cone), which gave Thor its characteristic blunt profile and to Thor's raison d'etre; the awesome 1.44-megaton warhead; its principles of operation and its terrifying effects. The launch countdown process is comprehensively covered in a series of easy to follow flow diagrams, accompanied by detailed drawings and descriptions of the launch control consoles and equipment. The launch sites are themselves examined, with a description of the surveys required, typical layout, locations, construction and security arrangements. Detailed drawings of the site buildings, made by the author, and believed not to be available elsewhere, complete the book which contains photographs, some from the author's collection, believed to be previously unpublished.Table of ContentsContents; Introduction; The Sites; The Site Buildings; The Missile; The Airframe; Pneumatic System; Fuel System; Engine; Hydraulic System; Electrical System; Guidance; Re - entry Vehicle; Warhead; The Launch Emplacement; Missile Shelter; Transporter Erector; Launch Mounting; Hydraulic Pumping Unit; Fuel; Propellant Transfer System; Storage; Nitrogen Supplies; Electrical Equipment Trailer; Missile Check Out Trailer; Power Switchboard; Guidance; Short Range Theodolite; Long Range Theodolite; Target Pillar; Full Guidance Countdown; Guidance Control; Guidance Alignment Set Components; Launch Control Area; Launch Control Trailer; Launch Control Consoles; Full Launch Countdown; Epilogue.

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Book SynopsisThis highly detailed, absorbing Cold War guide is the ideal companion for anyone wishing to explore the once divided capital of Berlin. Using his in-depth knowledge as a historian and battlefield/historical guide, David McCormack describes in vivid detail the tension and drama of the long standoff between the superpowers which shaped the landscape of both a defeated Germany and Europe for years to come. Meticulous historical research combines with the author's intimate knowledge of Berlin to produce a user friendly guide rich in historical detail. Prepare for a fascinating journey across the Cold War landscape of Berlin as it is today.

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Book SynopsisThis book contains a history of all United States Air Force Tactical Air Command flying units that were resident in the United Kingdom during the period 1950 to 1992. ‘From the cockpit’ testimony from aircrew who were assigned to the individual squadrons and wings is an integral part of the narrative; which is supported by 467 illustrations, 168 of which are in colour. The tactical nuclear mission was central to the operations of many of the UK based units and is covered in detail from its beginnings in 1952 with the arrival the 20th TFW and the 47th Bombardment Wing, to the adoption by NATO of the doctrine of ‘Flexible Response’ and the eventual end of the Cold War. Also Included also are sections on the units which were temporarily deployed to the United Kingdom in support of the USAF and NATO operations. The comprehensive Appendices contain essays on individual aircraft development, international events which had a direct bearing on the missions and deployments of the individual units, the support aircraft used by the wings, and Maps, Tables and Profiles.Table of ContentsForeword; Acknowledgements; Glossary of Abbreviations; Introduction; 1 The 81st FIW, FBW, TFW; 2 The 406th FBW, FIW; 3 The 47th Bombardment Wing; 4 The 20th FBW, TFW; 5 The 42nd Electronic Combat Squadron; 6 The 420th Air Refuelling Squadron; 7 The 48th Tactical Fighter Wing; 8 The 10th TRW, TFW; 9 The 527th Tactical Fighter Training Aggressor Squadron; 10 The 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing; 11 The Skyblazers; 12 Tactical Air Command Temporary Deployments to; the UK in the Cold War; Epilogue; Appendix I: The Tactical Aircraft Assigned to; the Tactical Units Based in the UK; Appendix II: Wing and Squadron Support Aircraft; Appendix III: The Policy of ‘Massive Retaliation’; Appendix IV: Red Richard; Appendix V: The Hungarian Uprising 1956; Appendix VI: The Cuban Missile Crisis; Appendix VII: Able Archer; Appendix VIII: 1966 France Leaves NATO; Appendix IX: The 1961 Berlin Crisis and Operation Stairstep; Appendix X: The Suez Crisis 1956; Appendix XI: The Doctrine of Flexible Response; Appendix XII: Tables; Appendix XIII: Maps; Endnotes; Bibliography and Other Sources.

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Book SynopsisAn aviation legend designed in the mid-1940s, the Canberra entered service in 1951 with RAF Bomber Command. It served in the conventional, interdictor and nuclear bomber role with the RAF, in the UK, Germany, the Middle East and Far East. Its performance and adaptability made it ideal as a reconnaissance aircraft, and the final version, the Canberra PR9, only finally retired in July 2006! The Canberra was used in many support roles, especially in signals / electronic warfare. The Canberra was adopted by air forces from South America to Africa and India, as well as Australia and New Zealand, and license-built as the Martin B-57 served. It was involved conflicts from the Suez War and Malaya Confrontation, and various other hot spots with the RAF, to the Australian and USAF ops in Vietnam, and even the India-Pakistan War when both sides used Canberras, and the 1982 Falklands War. Used in trials and evaluation the Canberra held various height and speed records, and NASA’s High Altitude Research Program WB-57s are still active. The Canberra has also had dedicated enthusiasts, and aircraft (or cockpits) still survive in museums, as well as some in flying condition.Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1 Design and Development; 2 No. 231 Operational Conversion Unit; 3 International Operators; 4 B-57: The American Canberra; 5 Trials and Testing; 6 Displaying the Canberra: RAF and Civilian; 7 Survivors; 8 Technical and Cockpit Details; 9 Colour Schemes and Markings; 10 First Flights, Records, Anniversaries; 11 Production List and Conversions.

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Book SynopsisThe North American F-100 Super Sabre served with the United States Air Forces in Europe for a total of sixteen years at the height of the Cold War. The primary mission of the USAFE units that flew the 'hun' was the delivery of tactical nuclear weapons on targets in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. The nuclear mission was practised on the gunnery ranges of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and North Africa. The pilots, called bomb commanders, sat alert all over Europe to take off at a moment's notice and fly alone into the heart of enemy territory carrying just one atomic bomb often more powerful than those dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of the Second World War. These dedicated pilots acknowledged that many of their targets were situated so far away that there would be no prospect of return to their home base and their families and friends. The secondary mission of the USAFE F-100 units was to prepare for conventional war.Table of ContentsAbout this book; Acknowledgements; Glossary of Abbreviations; Chapter 1: Development of the F-100. Chapter 2: The Nuclear Mission. Chapter 3: The 20th Fighter Bomber Wing/Tactical Fighter Wing. Chapter 4:The 36th Fighter Day Wing/Tactical Fighter Wing. Chapter 5: The 48th Fighter Bomber Wing/Tactical Fighter Wing. Chapter 6: The 388/49th Fighter Bomber Wing/Tactical Fighter Wing. Chapter 7: The 50 Fighter Bomber Wing/Tactical Fighter Wing. Chapter 8: The 401st Tactical Fighter Wing. Chapter 9: The North African Bases and F-100 Units. Chapter 10:Detachment #1 7407th Support Squadron, Slick Chicks. Chapter 11:The Skyblazers. Chapter 12: TAC F-100 Temporary Detachments to USAFE in the Cold War. Endpiece; Appendices: 1, NATO F-100 units. 2, The Doctrines of Massive Retaliation and Flexible Response. Maps: USAFE F-100 bases; Gunnery ranges used by the USAFE based F-100 aircraft. Aircraft; Bibliography and other Sources.

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Book SynopsisA landmark journey along the full length of the old Iron Curtain - from the Arctic Circle to Turkey's eastern border - tracing the history of the Cold War and meeting the people who live with its legacy. The Iron Curtain divided the continent of Europe, north to south, with the Berlin Wall as its most visible, infamous manifestation. Since the Cold War ended and these borders came down, Europe has transformed itself. New generations have grown up, freed from the tensions and restrictions of the past. But what do the Curtain and the Wall mean today? What has happened to the people and places they divided? What have they left in their wake? In a major new book, Timothy Phillips travels the route of the Iron Curtain from deep inside the Arctic Circle to the meeting point of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey. He explores the borderlands where the clash of civilisations was at its most intense between 1945 and 1989, and where the world's most powerful ideologies became tangible in reinforced concrete and barbed wire. He looks at the new Europe that emerged from the ruins. The people he meets bear vivid witness to times of change. There are those who look back on the Cold War with nostalgia and affection. Others despise it, unable to forgive the hard and sometimes lost decades that their families, friends and nations endured. These old fault lines have much to tell us about Europe now and about our societies' current disputes - over borders, and about belonging and the meaning of progress. The Curtain and the Wall transports the reader across 5,000 kilometres of Europe and through eight decades to show how one of the defining stories of the 20th century continues to shape our world today.Trade ReviewAn account not only of how the Cold War frontiers were drawn, guarded or penetrated by brave escapers, but - more importantly - of how often they were rendered discreetly porous by all kinds of compromise ... fascinating -- Neal AschersonA brilliant book, not only based on an inspired idea, but also written with a keen eye for human hopes, fears and tragedies. ... full of surprises -- William Hague[Phillips] visited strange places that very few people have ever heard of but which, nevertheless, were vitally important in the east-west divide... [He] can be very funny... Yet Phillips can also be sombre... Excellent * Sunday Times *Phillips has a good ear for historical anecdotes and writes with empathy and acuity about the people and places he encounters... These individual stories are narrated with energy and aplomb * TLS *At a time when we seem to be entering a new Cold War, here's a book on the hangover from the original one... [Phillips] travels from the Arctic Circle to Turkey's eastern border, tracing the history of the Iron Curtain and meeting the people who live with its legacy * Deskbound Traveller *An engaging blend of travel, history and politics, with much resonance for today * Bookseller *A first class analysis of cold war history... well researched * Sunday Independent *

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Book SynopsisAn epic journey across 5,000 kilometres and through eight decades, to tell a new story about the old Cold War faultlines With the fall of the Berlin Wall, it seemed that the old divisions between East and West had been consigned to history. But with tensions once again rising, the past has much to tell us about our present. Here Timothy Phillips undertakes a fascinating journey along the full length of the former Iron Curtain, from the Arctic Circle to Turkey's eastern border, to meet the people who bore witness to this tumultuous era and those who continue to live in its shadow. 'A first class analysis of Cold War history' Sunday Independent '[Phillips] visited strange places that very few people have ever heard of but which were vitally important in the east-west divide... Phillips is a good observer... [with] excellent powers of narrative' Sunday Times 'Narrated with energy and aplomb... Phillips has a good ear for historical anecdotes and writes with empathy and acuity about the people and places he encounters' Times Literary SupplementTrade ReviewAn account not only of how the Cold War frontiers were drawn, guarded or penetrated by brave escapers, but - more importantly - of how often they were rendered discreetly porous by all kinds of compromise ... fascinating -- Neal AschersonA brilliant book, not only based on an inspired idea, but also written with a keen eye for human hopes, fears and tragedies. ... full of surprises -- William Hague[Phillips] visited strange places that very few people have ever heard of but which, nevertheless, were vitally important in the east-west divide... [He] can be very funny... Yet Phillips can also be sombre... Excellent * Sunday Times *Phillips has a good ear for historical anecdotes and writes with empathy and acuity about the people and places he encounters... These individual stories are narrated with energy and aplomb * TLS *At a time when we seem to be entering a new Cold War, here's a book on the hangover from the original one... [Phillips] travels from the Arctic Circle to Turkey's eastern border, tracing the history of the Iron Curtain and meeting the people who live with its legacy * Deskbound Traveller *An engaging blend of travel, history and politics, with much resonance for today * Bookseller *A first class analysis of cold war history... well researched * Sunday Independent *

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Book SynopsisDonald Maclean was a star diplomat, an establishment insider and a keeper of some of the West’s greatest secrets. He was also a Russian spy…Codenamed ‘Orphan’ by his Russian recruiter, Maclean was Britain’s most gifted traitor. But as he leaked huge amounts of top-secret intelligence, an international code-breaking operation was rapidly closing in on him. Moments before he was unmasked, Maclean escaped to Moscow.Drawing on a wealth of previously classified material, A Spy Named Orphan now tells this story for the first time in full, revealing the character and devastating impact of perhaps the most dangerous Soviet agent of the twentieth century.‘Superb’ William Boyd‘Fascinating… An exceptional story of espionage and betrayal, thrillingly told’ Philippe Sands‘A cracking story… Impressively researched’ Sunday Times‘Philipps makes the story and the slow uncovering of [Maclean’s] treachery a gripping narrative’ Alan BennettTrade ReviewBrilliantly fluent...fascinating...[Philipps] writes so cleanly, and at such a clip, handling the big scenes with aplomb...This biography first grips and then lingers long in the mind. It is a page-turner of the most empathetic kind. -- Rachel Cooke * Guardian *Superb…full of contemporary relevance… Philipps relates the complex narrative of Maclean’s treason…with tremendous aplomb, limpidity and acuity -- WILLIAM BOYD * New Statesman *With A Spy Named Orphan, the last piece of this bizarre jigsaw falls into place. The outline story is familiar, but the amount of new detail here — on Maclean's personal, professional, and secret lives – exceeds all expectations. Roland Philipps has managed to make the new material come alive by relating it intimately to its historical context, of which he has a deep and sympathetic understanding. -- Sebastian Faulks, author of BIRDSONGThe definitive account of the life of a “gifted” traitor… Impressive… By drawing on a wealth of previously classified material, Philipps weaves a gripping tale of misplaced loyalty, intrigue and betrayal that is unlikely to be bettered -- Dominic Midgley * Daily Express *Fascinating and page-turning. An exceptional story of espionage and betrayal, thrillingly told. I devoured it. -- Philippe Sands, winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize for EAST WEST STREET

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Book Synopsis*** The Sunday Times bestseller ***'Vividly imagined and prodigiously researched' Helen Davies, Sunday Times, Books of the Year 'Such a rewarding read' John Preston, Daily Mail, Books of the Year'This odd, secretive man is brought to life', Robbie Millen, The Times, Books of the YearMaxwell Knight was a paradox. A jazz obsessive and nature enthusiast (he is the author of the definitive work on how to look after a gorilla), he is seen today as one of MI5's greatest spymasters, a man who did more than any other to break up British fascism during the Second World War – in spite of having once belonged to the British Fascisti himself. He was known to his agents and colleagues simply as M, and was rumoured to be part of the inspiration for the character M in the James Bond series.Knight became a legendary spymaster despite an almost total lack of qualifications. What set him apart from his peers was a mercurial ability to transform almost anyone into a fearless secret agent. He was the first in MI5 to grasp the potential of training female agents.M is about more than just one man however. In its pages, Hemming reveals for the first time in print the names and stories of seven men and women recruited by Knight, on behalf of MI5, and then asked to infiltrate the most dangerous political organizations in Britain at that time. Until now, their identities have been kept secret outside MI5. Drawn from every walk of life, they led double lives—often at great personal cost—in order to protect the country they loved. With the publication of this book, it will be possible at last to celebrate the lives of these courageous, selfless individuals.Drawing on declassified documents, private family archives and interviews with retired MI5 officers as well as the families of MI5 agents, M reveals not just the shadowy world of espionage but a brilliant, enigmatic man at its centre.Trade ReviewFascinating biography ... Hemming has done a superb job -- Ben Macintyre * The Times, 'Book of the Week' *Excellent biography… The author has done a terrific job of unscrambling Knight’s muddled life * The Sunday Times *Jaw-droppingly revelatory biography. ***** * Mail on Sunday *‘Compelling new biography… Hemming has done a wonderful espionage job of his own, scouring obscure files to bring long-hidden agents and their exploits to light. It is also a gripping portrait of an era, now long gone, when the establishment could accommodate such extravagant oddness. * Daily Telegraph *Henry Hemming has found a peach of a subject... Full of new material, fresh interpretations and uncompromising integrity... He has managed the great feat of producing a rattling good read that is also a major piece of revisionist history -- Richard Davenport-Hines * Wall Street Journal *Hemming has written a very readable, thoughtful and comprehensive account -- Alan Judd * Literary Review *I raced through Henry Hemming's book, constantly having to remind myself that it wasn't a work of fiction. It really has everything you'd want from a great espionage story: incredible agents risking their lives; the highest possible stakes, with the safety of the world hanging in the balance; and at its heart a complicated, mercurial spy master in Maxwell Knight spinning an ever more intricate web. -- Matt Charman, Oscar-nominated screenwriter of 'Bridge of Spies'A major new biography * Mail on Sunday *Engaging and suspenseful * Financial Times *Lively contribution to a maverick literature * The Observer *Crammed with cracking stories and founded on sound research, Henry Hemming’s biography of Maxwell Knight – ‘M’ – stands comparison with the bestselling books of Ben Macintyre. -- Adam Sisman (Author of John Le Carré)Absolute proof that assiduous digging in the archives can produce scoops. This is intelligence research at its best, especially in the identification of hitherto anonymous agents. Definitely a great contribution to the literature. -- Nigel West (Author of MI5)A fascinating portrait of a complex man. Espionage writing at its best. -- Charles Cumming (Author of A Divided Spy)A cracking read, which both informs and entertains in equal measure. -- Robin Handbury-Tenison * Country Life *Henry Hemming's excellent new life of Maxwell Knight [...] the most convincing, balanced and intricate biography of this extraordinary figure. -- Alex Bughart * The Spectator *‘A terrific life of the brilliant and eccentric spymaster’ * The Sunday Times *A jaw-droppingly revelatory biography * EVENT magazine, Mail on Sunday *The odd chap is brought to life * The Times *This is a terrific book, well researched and superbly written * The Guardian *a fascinating biography * Keith Simpson MP’s Summer Reading List *

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Book SynopsisAcclaimed historian Barry Turner presents a new history ofthe Cold War's defining episode.Berlin, 1948 - a divided city in a divided country in adivided Europe. The ruined German capital lay 120 miles insideSoviet-controlled eastern Germany. Stalin wanted the Allies out; the Allieswere determined to stay, but had only three narrow air corridors linking thecity to the West. Stalin was confident he could crush Berlin's resolve bycutting off food and fuel.In the USA, despite some voices still urging 'Americafirst', it was believed that a rebuilt Germany was the best insurance againstthe spread of communism across Europe.And so over eleven months from June 1948 to May 1949,British and American aircraft carried out the most ambitious airborne reliefoperation ever mounted, flying over 2 million tons of supplies on almost300,000 flights to save a beleaguered Berlin.With new material from American, British and German archivesand original interviews with veterans, Turner paints a fresh, vivid picture theairlift, whose repercussions - the role of the USA as global leader, Germanascendancy, Russian threat - we are still living with today.Trade ReviewIn this fine piece of popular history, Barry Turner provides an engaging and vivid account of this first major episode of the Cold War. * BBC History *Crisply written, suitably dramatic and ultimately heartening book. * Daily Mail *This new history of "Operation Vittles" based on hitherto unexplored archives and interviews with veterans paints a fresh, vivid picture of the Berlin airlift, whose repercussions - the role of the USA as a global leader, German ascendancy, Russian threat - are still being felt today. * The Bookseller *Barry Turner offers a compelling view of the airlift, explains the context and explores its legacy. * CHOICE *

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Book Synopsis'All the power and intrigue of a cinematic thriller ... immersive, dramatic, and historically edifying' KirkusMoscow in the late 1970s: one by one, CIA assets are disappearing. The perils of American arrogance, mixed with bureaucratic infighting, had left the country unspeakably vulnerable to ultra-sophisticated Russian electronic surveillance.. The Spy in Moscow Station tells of a time when-much like today-Russian spycraft was proving itself far ahead of the best technology the U.S. had to offer.This is the true story of unorthodox, underdog intelligence officers who fought an uphill battle against their government to prove that the KGB had pulled off the most devastating and breathtakingly thorough penetration of U.S. national security in history.Incorporating declassified internal CIA memos and diplomatic cables, this suspenseful narrative reads like a thriller-but real lives were at stake, and every twist is true as the US and USSR attempt to wrongfoot each other in eavesdropping technology and tradecraft. The book also carries a chilling warning for the present: like the State and CIA officers who were certain their "sweeps" could detect any threat in Moscow, we don't know what we don't know.

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Book Synopsis'All the power and intrigue of a cinematic thriller ... immersive, dramatic, and historically edifying' KirkusMoscow in the late 1970s: one by one, CIA assets are disappearing. The perils of American arrogance, mixed with bureaucratic infighting, had left the country unspeakably vulnerable to ultra-sophisticated Russian electronic surveillance.. The Spy in Moscow Station tells of a time when-much like today-Russian spycraft was proving itself far ahead of the best technology the U.S. had to offer.This is the true story of unorthodox, underdog intelligence officers who fought an uphill battle against their government to prove that the KGB had pulled off the most devastating and breathtakingly thorough penetration of U.S. national security in history.Incorporating declassified internal CIA memos and diplomatic cables, this suspenseful narrative reads like a thriller-but real lives were at stake, and every twist is true as the US and USSR attempt to wrongfoot each other in eavesdropping technology and tradecraft. The book also carries a chilling warning for the present: like the State and CIA officers who were certain their "sweeps" could detect any threat in Moscow, we don't know what we don't know.

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Book SynopsisJanuary, 1953. It is eight years on from the most destructive conflict in human history and the Cold War has entered its most deadly phase. An Iron Curtain has descended across Europe, and hostilities between the United States and the Soviet Union have turned hot on the Korean peninsula, as the two powers clash in an intractable and bloody proxy war. Meanwhile, the pace of the nuclear arms race has become frenetic. The Soviet Union has finally tested its own atom bomb, as has Britain. But in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the United States has detonated its first thermonuclear device, dwarfing the destruction unleashed on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of the Second World War. For the first time the Doomsday Clock is set at two minutes to midnight, with the chances of a man-made global apocalypse becoming increasingly likely. As the Cold War powers square up in political and military battles around the globe, every city has become a potential battleground and every citizen a target. 1953 is set to be a year of living dangerously.Trade Review"A page-turning account of an epoch-changing year, with unexpected portraits and gripping narrative details. Popular history at its best." - Andrew Marr "For far too long, 1953 has been thought of as a monochrome year; just another twelve months in the boring 1950s. Now Roger Hermiston explodes that theory by showing it in all its most vivid colours, presenting it in a way that will ensure that it will be appreciated as a true turning point in modern history. His gripping account of the death of Stalin, the discovery of DNA, Winston Churchill's stroke, Dwight Eisenhower's presidency and so much more will stay with readers long after they finish the last page of this well-researched, thoughtful, well-written and groundbreaking book." - Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny "A fascinating account of a remarkable year. Roger Hermiston builds a compelling, and eminently readable, case for the view that 1953 was a pivotal year, a turning point in the Cold War and in the creation of the world we still inhabit today." - Jonathan Freedland, Guardian columnist and presenter of BBC Radio 4's The Long View

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Book SynopsisAn exhilarating real-life Cold War thriller about the Americans who fought for Fidel Castro in the Cuban Revolution - then switched sides to try to bring him down Back in 1957, Castro was a hero to many in the USA for taking up arms against Cuba's dictatorial regime. Two dozen American adventurers joined his rebel band in the mountains, including fervent idealists, a trio of teens from the Guantanamo Bay naval base, a sleazy ex-con who liked underage girls, and at least two future murderers. Castro's eventual victory delighted the world - but then he ran up the red flag and some started wondering if they'd supported the wrong side. A gang of disillusioned American volunteers - including future Watergate burglar Frank Fiorini and journalist Alex Rorke, whose 1963 disappearance remains unsolved - changed allegiances and joined the Cuban exiles, CIA agents and soldiers of fortune who had washed up in Miami ready to fight Castro's regime by any means necessary. These larger-than-life characters wreaked havoc across the Caribbean and went on to be implicated in President Kennedy's assassination, a failed invasion of 'Papa Doc' Duvalier's Haiti and the downfall of Richard Nixon. The Cold War had arrived in Miami, and things would never be the same again.

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Book SynopsisA SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEAR - 'a dark remembrance of 1953, when nuclear annihilation was only the press of a button away'. January 1953. Eight years on from the most destructive conflict in human history, the Cold War enters its deadliest phase. An Iron Curtain has descended across Europe, and hostilities have turned hot on the Korean peninsula as the United States and Soviet Union clash in an intractable and bloody proxy war. Former wartime allies have grown far apart. An ageing Winston Churchill, back in Downing Street, yearns for peace with the Kremlin - but new American President Dwight Eisenhower cautions the West not to drop its guard. Joseph Stalin, implacable as ever, conducts vicious campaigns against imaginary internal enemies. Meanwhile, the pace of the nuclear arms race has become frenetic. The Soviet Union has finally tested its own atom bomb, as has Britain. But in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the United States has detonated its first thermonuclear device, dwarfing the destruction unleashed on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. For the first time, the Doomsday Clock is set at two minutes to midnight, with the risk of a man-made global apocalypse increasingly likely. As the Cold War powers square up, every city has become a potential battleground and every citizen a target. 1953 is set to be a year of living dangerously.

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Book SynopsisThe Cold War is one of the furthest-reaching and longest-lasting conflicts in modern history. It spanned the globe - from Greece to China, Hungary to Cuba - and lasted for almost half a century. It has shaped political relations to this day, drawing new physical and ideological boundaries between East and West. In this meticulously researched account, Bridget Kendall explores the Cold War through the eyes of those who experienced it first-hand. Alongside in-depth analysis that explains the historical and political context, the book draws on exclusive interviews with individuals who lived through the conflict's key events, offering a variety of perspectives that reveal how the Cold War was experienced by ordinary people. From pilots making food drops during the Berlin Blockade and Japanese fishermen affected by H-bomb testing to families fleeing the Korean War and children whose parents were victims of McCarthy's Red Scare, The Cold War covers the full geographical and historical reach of the conflict. The Cold War is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how the tensions of the last century have shaped the modern world, and what it was like to live through them.Trade ReviewBridget Kendall is renowned for her coverage of the Soviet Union. In her understanding of Russia she has few peers. Her collection of first-hand stories of the experience of the Cold War is chilling, powerful and important. These memories are the more compelling for being placed with her own experience and knowledge of those grim days. -- Jonathan Dimbleby

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Book SynopsisJames Bluemel is an Emmy and BAFTA award winning filmmaker. His landmark documentary series Exodus: the Journey to Europe and the follow up series, The Journey Continues were both broadcast on the BBC and PBS Frontline and charted the journeys of refugees as they fled their homes and tried to find asylum in Europe. Filmed over 4 years, it won the BAFTA for Director - Factual 2017.

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Book SynopsisIn this readable and highly original book, John J. Curley presents the first synthetic account of global art during the Cold War. Through a careful examination of artworks drawn from America, Europe, Russia and Asia, he demonstrates the inextricable nature of art and politics in this contentious period. He dismantles the usual narrative of American abstract painting versus figurative Soviet Socialist Realism to reveal a much more nuanced, contradictory and ambivalent picture of art making, in which the objects themselves, like spies, dissembled, housed and managed ideological differences.

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Book SynopsisIn 1953 Dag Hammarskjöld became the second Secretary-General of the United Nations--the highest international civil servant. Before his mission was cut short by a 1961 plane crash in then Northern Rhodesia (Zambia), he used his office to act on the basis of anti-hegemonic values, including solidarity and recognition of otherness. The dubious circumstances of Hammarskjöld’s death have received much attention, including a new official investigation; but have perhaps overshadowed his diplomatic legacy--one that has often been hotly contested. Henning Melber explores the years of African decolonisation during which Hammarskjöld was in office, investigating the scope and limits of his influence within the context of global governance. He paints a picture of a man with strong guiding principles, but limited room for manoeuver, colliding with the essential interests of the big powers as the ‘wind of change’ blew over the African continent. His book is a critical contribution to the study of international politics and the role of the UN in the Cold War. It is also a tribute to the achievements of a cosmopolitan Swede. Trade Review'Melber’s book is a compelling one, based on assiduous research, which avoids slipping into hagiography. … [Dag Hammarskjöld] provides a forceful counterargument that explains how Hammarskjöld embodied a short-lived zeitgeist and why his application of an ethical vision to international diplomacy remains pivotal today.' -- Journal of African History

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Book SynopsisIn 1960 a mysterious car crash killed Albert Camus and his publisher Michel Gallimard, who was behind the wheel. Based on meticulous research, Giovanni Catelli builds a compelling case that the 46-year-old French Algerian Nobel laureate was the victim of premeditated murder: he was silenced by the KGB. The Russians had a motive: Camus had campaigned tirelessly against the Soviet crushing of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, and vociferously supported the awarding of the Nobel Prize to the dissident novelist Boris Pasternak, which enraged Moscow. Sixty years after Camus’ death, Catelli takes us back to a murky period in the Cold War. He probes the relationship between Camus and Pasternak, the fraught publication of Doctor Zhivago, the penetration of France by Soviet spies, and the high price paid by those throughout Europe who resisted the USSR.Trade Review'Mr. Catelli's case is compelling ... his book provides a clear and useful window into the currents that political writers were forced to navigate during the Cold War.' -- Wall Street Journal‘An investigation into the astonishing claim that the Nobel prize winner was killed by the Soviet secret police.’ -- The Sunday Times‘Published in English for the first time, the Italian poet and historian Giovanni Catelli argues that Camus, author of the existential masterpiece "The Stranger", was murdered by the Soviet security agency.’ -- The Telegraph'Kisil maintains that Zabrana did his utmost to find "credible and objective sources" of information in the USSR. "It’s possible -- and actually even probable -- that he could have met someone from this circle of people who told him about the assassination of Camus, and who themselves had heard it from someone close to the upper echelons of the Communist Party," he said.' -- Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty'Catelli learned not to give up hope in the time since he discovered the testimony of Jan Zábrana. His book reads like a detective novel without resolution or punishment –– no one was or will be jailed for murdering Camus.' -- Pagina 12 (Argentina)'A text of seductive literary, biographical, critical and historical value.' -- Avvenire'Catelli succeeds in convincing us that Camus could have been assassinated by the KGB.' -- Le Monde Libertaire'Fast-paced and entertaining, reads like a spy novel.' -- La Capital (Argentina)'Catelli contends that the KGB was responsible for the auto accident that killed Camus […] More controversially, he also argues that the French government was complicit in the killing.' -- Inside Hook'Eloquently written.' -- Green Left

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Book SynopsisChina's resistance to Imperial Japan was the other great internationalist cause of the 'red 1930s', along with the Spanish Civil War. These desperate and bloody struggles were personified in the lives of Norman Bethune and others who volunteered in both conflicts. The story of Red Friends starts in the 1920s when, encouraged by the newly formed Communist International, Chinese nationalists and leftists united to fight warlords and foreign domination.John Sexton has unearthearthed the histories of foreigners who joined the Chinese revolution. He follows Comintern militants, journalists, spies, adventurers, Trotskyists, and mission kids whose involvement helped, and sometimes hindered, China's revolutionaries. Most were internationalists who, while strongly identifying with China's struggle, saw it as just one theatre in a world revolution. The present rulers in Beijing, however, buoyed by China's powerhouse economy, commemorate them as 'foreign friends' who aided China's 'peaceful rise' to great power status. Red Friends is part of Verso's growing China list, which includes China's Revolution in the Modern World and China in One Village. Founded on original research, it is a stirring story of idealists struggling against the odds to found a better future. The author's interviews with survivors and descendants add colour and humanity to lives both heroic and tragic.Trade ReviewA fascinating read, based on deep knowledge of the "red friends". People of all kinds and various nationalities, mostly Western, Sexton has an obvious sympathy with them, but also the ability to give the unvarnished truth where necessary. Sexton is sensitive, often witty and also innovative, uncovering hitherto unfamiliar material. Not only well written, but really excellent scholarship. -- Colin Mackerras, Professor Emeritus, Griffith University, AustraliaThis book is a comprehensive guide to an intricate history of the Chinese Communist movement seen through the eyes of foreign activists who contributed to its final victory. It is an enthralling collection of human stories well-written and captivating. Marked by abundant historical details and facts, yet elegantly designated for a general reader, it stands out as an extremely useful source of information for everyone who is interested in communist studies. It is an enchanting anthology of tales about foreign participants in the Chinese revolution - Russian, German, Dutch, American, Indian, New Zealand, British, Polish, and Japanese. Some of them are well-known, some others much less so. Some were staunch Stalinists, some others stubborn Trotskyists or Maoists, some were idealists, some others pure pragmatists. But all were inspired by a heroic struggle of the Chinese people for national and social liberation and were dedicated to the Chinese revolutionary course regardless of their political denominations. This book pays homage to every one of them shedding abundant light on their lives and fates. -- Alexander V. Pantsov, professor of history and holds the Edward and Mary Catherine Gerhold Chair in the Humanities at Capital University in Columbus, OhioRed Friends is a kind of book I've been waiting for a long time. The indispensable international dimension of the otherwise indigenous Chinese revolutions deserves an honest and fully explored history. In particular, the communist revolution in China was profoundly internationalist, in its self-consciousness and engagements as much as its regional and global magnetism. John Sexton most skilfully recounts important personal and collective experiences of 'red' foreign participants in China's protracted liberation struggle. These fascinating stories, involving far reaching and complex contextual narratives across national and partisan boundaries, are told in an elegant prose with great historical sensibility. At a perilous time of capitalist nationalism and imperialism, this book is a powerful and refreshing reminder of a lost world where revolutionary nationalism and internationalism were born twins. -- Lin Chun, Professor in Comparative Politics at the LSE, author of Revolution and Counterrevolution in China (2021).

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Book SynopsisIn her own words, the life of the beautiful young model and dancer who helped to bring down the Tory government of Harold Macmillan - the 'Profumo Affair' remains the greatest political sex scandal in recent British history.Following Christine Keeler's death in December 2017, it is now possible to update her book to include revelations that she did not wish to be published in her lifetime. The result is a revised and updated book containing material that has never been officially released, which really does lift the lid on just how far the Establishment will go to protect its own.Published to coincide with the BBC's major new six-part TV drama series, The Trial of Christine Keeler, starring Sophie Cookson as Keeler and James Norton as Stephen Ward

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Book SynopsisAdam J. Levine analyzes the origins of the Cuban Missile Crisis, with a particular focus on Nikita Khrushchev’s motives and the response of the Kennedy administration. Levine’s account presents a different portrayal of the events than popularly told, shedding light on John F. Kennedy’s decision-making practices and personal behavior while out of public eye.Table of ContentsPart I: The BackgroundChapter 1: Khrushchev and the Cold War BackgroundChapter 2: The Kennedy Administration and Its PoliciesChapter 3: The Cold War 1961-1962Part II: The CrisisChapter 4: The Great Gamble: The Decision, Plans, BuildupChapter 5: To Look or Not to Look: The Runup to the Crisis, July-October 1962Chapter 6: The First Seven Days: The Secret CrisisChapter 7: The Second Week: The Public CrisisChapter 8: Aftermath and Conclusions

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Book SynopsisGermany, spring 1945. Hitler is dead and his armies crushed. Across the conquered Reich, cities lie devastated by Allied saturation bombing; their traumatised populations, exhausted and embittered by defeat, face a future of acute privation and hardship. Such was the broken state of the nation in which a British civilian and military force arrived in the spring and summer of 1945. Their zone of occupation was the northern and northwestern part of Germany, the country’s former industrial heartland. Their task? To build democracy from the ruins of Hitler’s Reich, and, having defeated Nazism on the battlefield, to ‘win the peace’ by eradicating Nazism from German hearts and minds. As well as offering a vivid narrative of the British occupation in political and military terms, from the Potsdam Conference to the Berlin Airlift, Don’t Let’s Be Beastly to the Germans explores the day-to-day experiences of the ordinary Britons who worked for the Control Commission for Germany between 1945 and 1949. Some reconstructed bridges and schools, supervised the destruction of military matériel and brought fugitive Nazis to justice; while others became entangled in black marketeering, corruption and sexual scandal. In time, they would find themselves on the front line of the Cold War, as irreconcilable tensions divided Europe between East and West.Trade ReviewImmensely readable ... Cowling expertly navigates his narrative through a post-war Europe of conflicting ideas, difficult decisions, brilliant minds and flawed people -- Katja Hoyer * Daily Telegraph *Candid and illuminating -- Richard Overy * Literary Review *Very readable ... The real strength of the book is in the tiny details that Cowling's painstaking research uncovers -- Glenda Cooper * Mail on Sunday *A gripping account of the post-war period detailing life in the British Zone. The Allies may have won the war but with Germany in ruins and millions homeless, hopeless and starving, would they win the peace? * Julia Boyd, author of A Village in the Third Reich *An endlessly wonderful evocation of the post-War years when we tried, despite the chaos of the times, understandably bitter feelings, and ruinous expense, to create a new, democratic Germany, even as our Empire crumbled around us. It may not have been our finest hour - yet, to the infinite benefit of Europe, we really did win the peace. A clear, grand idea mixed with unforgettable new details make this unputdownable. * James Hawes, author of The Shortest History of Germany *An excellent, vivid, readable social history of the British and their Zone in Post-War Germany. * Giles MacDonogh *The British occupation of Germany after 1945 was sometimes shameful, sometimes heroic, but often just chaotic. Cowling’s brilliantly researched book reveals it all, and must surely become the standard work on the subject. * Keith Lowe *Meticulously researched and skilfully written, Daniel Cowling’s narrative evokes a shattered post-war world in which British men and women were given the herculean task of rebuilding a democratic Germany. As they sought to round-up ex-Nazis, racketeers and corrupt officials, some found themselves drawn to an underworld rife with crime, drunkenness and sex. A ground-breaking account of a little-known period. * Giles Milton, author of Churchill’s Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare *

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Book SynopsisIn the early 1970s, the athletes of the German Democratic Republic started to achieve incredible sports results, winning medals and setting new world records with astonishing frequency. For many years, their sporting supremacy was hailed as a triumph of the socialist government's commitment to scientific research and innovative training methods. But after the Cold War ended, the Stasi archives revealed a sinister secret behind the successes: a perverse doping system imposed by the government itself. Drugs were administered to young athletes, often without their consent, and the price their bodies are now paying is very high, both physically and mentally. Through the athletes' personal stories, Synthetic Medals reveals the events that led to the discovery of the state-doping system and the subsequent trial. It also explores the state's motives for this crime against its own people - people who were sacrificed on the altar of a distorted ideology, for the simple purpose of achieving glory on the international chessboard.

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Book SynopsisA trapped double-agent, an impending world war and a race to space… Winter Hawk is Craig Thomas at the height of his powers. With the Nuclear Arms Reduction Treaty set to be ratified by the US and the USSR in Geneva, it seems that international relations have finally stabilised. But when a double agent reveals that the Soviets are preparing to launch a series of laser weapons into space, the West is suddenly defenceless and vulnerable. A panic-stricken US President puts pilot Mitchell Gant at the head of a mission, code-named “Winter Hawk”. The operation is clear: a covert dash in and out of the Soviet Union to retrieve the double agent before the weapons can be launched. But with the clock ticking and the Russian “Hinds” on his tail, Gant’s voyage across the snowy Russian border is far from simple…Set against a background of Cold War tension and nuclear threat, Winter Hawk is another icy Craig Thomas thriller, perfect for fans of Desmond Bagley and Frederick Forsyth.

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