Cold wars and proxy conflicts Books

Book SynopsisFirefox is down and on thin ice…The unputdownable thriller from a modern masterBadly damaged and rapidly losing fuel after a brutal dogfight, stolen Cold War super-plane Firefox is forced to land on a frozen lake twenty miles from the Norwegian frontier. When the ice breaks, pilot Mitchell Gant has no choice but to abandon the aircraft and run for his life.As NATO races against the Soviets to recover Firefox from its icy tomb, Gant is hunted across Russia by the KGB. With international tension between East and West mounting, Gant must evade capture and get Firefox back into the sky before it’s too late…Strap in for the ride of your life.The extraordinary sequel to the bestselling techno-thriller Firefox, perfect for fans of Tom Clancy and Robert Ludlum.

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Book SynopsisJudi’s parents were on a mission to remake the world. These were the Cold War years of the 1950s and ‘60s, following a catastrophic world war and the breaking up of colonial empires. The couple had joined many others in giving up conventional careers and family life to work for Moral Re-Armament (MRA), an extensive global movement in its hey-day. Their life goal was to build a ‘hate-free, fear-free, greed-free world’. Between the ages of four and twelve Judi stayed in a series of shared homes and boarding schools while her parents travelled. Uncertain where she belonged, she dreaded being asked what her father did or where she lived, becoming anxious and guarded, almost to breaking point. The author interweaves her unusual childhood memoir with her parents’ parallel story, pieced together from contemporary archives and accounts. She offers a unique insight into the work of the controversial MRA movement, encouraging readers to draw their own conclusions. Judi Conner’s book propels readers back to the mid-20th century era when a war of ideas raged, a new world order was being fought over and high ideals came at a price.

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Book Synopsis Countless studies have assessed the dramatic reforms of Mikhail Gorbachev, but their analysis of the impact on European communism has focused overwhelmingly on the Soviet Union and Eastern bloc nations. This ambitious collection takes a much broader view, reconstructing and evaluating the historical trajectories of glasnost and perestroika on both sides of the Iron Curtain. Moving beyond domestic politics and foreign relations narrowly defined, the research gathered here constitutes a transnational survey of these reforms’ collective impact, showing how they were variably received and implemented, and how they shaped the prospects for “proletarian internationalism” in diverse political contexts.Trade Review “Written by well-known historians and political scientists, the book addresses an underexplored topic in detail and therefore will be of interest to specialists of communism, party politics, and the political Left in Europe.” • Choice “…a generally strong…and substantial collective contribution to the historiography of Communism.” • H-Diplo “Perestroika and the Party gives a comprehensive look at how different national parties reacted to Mikhail Gorbachev’s program of reform. Its case studies are fascinatingly detailed and make useful additions to the larger historical literature.” • Edward Cohn, Grinnell CollegeTable of Contents Introduction: Perestroika or about the Demise of the Communist World? Francesco Di Palma PART I: EASTERN EUROPE Chapter 1. The Impact of Perestroika and Glasnost on the CPSU's Stance toward the “Fraternal Parties” in the Eastern Bloc Peter Ruggenthaler Chapter 2. Soviet Society, Perestroika, and the End of the USSR Mark Kramer Chapter 3. Perestroika Made in Hungary? The HSWP’s Approach to the Soviet Reform of the Late-1980s Tamás Péter Baranyi Chapter 4. Yugoslavia and Perestroika 1985-1991: Between Hope and Disappointment Petar Dragišić Chapter 5. The Polish United Workers Party and Perestroika Wanda Jarząbek Chapter 6. SED and Perestroika: Perceptions and Reactions Hermann Wentker Chapter 7. Between External Constraint and Internal Crackdown: Romania’s Non-Reaction to Soviet Perestroika Stefano Bottoni PART II: WESTERN EUROPE Chapter 8. Parallel Destinies: The Italian Communist Party and Perestroika Aldo Agosti Chapter 9. “I felt as if I was faced with a French Honecker”: The French Communist Party Confronted with a World that was Falling Apart (1985-1991) Dominique Andolfatto Chapter 10. A Dialogue of the Deaf: The CPGB and the SED during the Gorbachev Era (1985-1990) Stefan Berger and Norman LaPorte Chapter 11. Premature Perestroika: The Dutch Communist Party and Gorbachev Gerrit Voerman Chapter 12. The Perestroika and the Greek Left Andreas Stergiou Chapter 13. The Austrian Communists and Perestroika Maximilian Graf Chapter 14. The Spanish Communist Party and Perestroika Walther L. Bernecker Afterword: Gorbachev and the End of International Communism Silvio Pons Index

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Book Synopsis'A compelling history of the dark arts of statecraft... Fascinating' Jonathan Rugman'Rich in anecdote and detail.' The TimesToday's world is in flux. Competition between the great powers is back on the agenda and governments around the world are turning to secret statecraft and the hidden hand to navigate these uncertain waters. From poisonings to electoral interference, subversion to cyber sabotage, states increasingly operate in the shadows, while social media has created new avenues for disinformation on a mass scale.This is covert action: perhaps the most sensitive - and controversial - of all state activity. However, for all its supposed secrecy, it has become surprisingly prominent - and it is something that has the power to affect all of us. In an enthralling and urgent narrative packed with real-world examples, Rory Cormac reveals how such activity is shaping the world and argues that understanding why and how states wield these dark arts has never been more important.Trade ReviewRich in anecdote and detail... Cormac, you can see, is an engaged teacher, the kind of lecturer who holds his students' attention with illustrative stories of derring-do and dirty tricks. They will like this book, as I do, with its relish of good yarns... A zippy read. * The TImes *A compelling history of the dark arts of statecraft - from assassination and sabotage through to disinformation, election interference and cyberattack. Rory Cormac combines the best true-life spy stories with thoughtful analysis of the perils of covert government operations. So full is it of fascinating and astutely examined examples of these murky practices that you wouldn't want his book to fall into the wrong hands. * Jonathan Rugman, author of The Killing in the Consulate *Even as major powers flaunt their military hardware and brazenly trample over borders, their struggles also continue in the shadows. Rory Cormac's raid into this confusing terrain is daring, incisive and exact, an intellectual special operation in itself. In particular, it reveals the hard choices and delicate trade-offs practitioners must consider, between secrecy, control and impact. Much that is written on this subject is overblown and vapid. Cormac's work, by contrast, is a much-needed correction. Britain needs Cormac. * Patrick Porter, author of The False Promise of Liberal Order *A dazzling journey through the subterranean world of covert action: from assassination, secret wars, cyberattacks and sabotage, to rigging elections, spreading influence, and subverting democracy. This major new book is stacked full of fascinating examples from around the world, perceptive analysis and careful warnings. A must read for anyone interested in international politics and secret statecraft. * Jamie Gaskarth, author of Secrets and Spies *An absolute must read for understanding the wide range of tools states pursue in the realm of covert statecraft. It has immense lessons for cyber operations, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and more. * Michael Poznansky, author of In the Shadow of International Law *Rory Cormac offers a delightfully incisive and much needed corrective to the opacity surrounding covert action. He shows that reality is, in fact, far more interesting than fiction... It may sound odd to say, but despite it being about some of the most underhanded behaviors a state can undertake, it is a fun book to read. It is a must read for both practitioners of the dark arts and the curious general public alike. * Diplomatic Courier *A must read for those interested in intelligence, secret warfare and the hidden hand. * Intelligence and National Security *A valuable and thought-provoking work, the most thorough treatment of the topic to date. * Studies in Intelligence *An important public service... Cormac's book has an ambitious scope, and its arguments and information are truly timeless. * International Affairs *Table of Contents1: How to assassinate your enemies 2: How to get away with murder 3: How to influence others 4: How to subvert governments and undermine democracy 5: How to rig an election 6: How to stage a coup 7: How to wage a secret war 8: How to pick your rebels 9: How to sabotage 10: How to cyberattack 11: How to wield the hidden hand

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Book SynopsisBlue-Collar Empire tells the shocking story of the AFL-CIO’s global anticommunist crusade—and its devastating consequences for workers around the world.Unions have the power not only to secure pay raises and employee benefits but to bring economies to a screeching halt and overthrow governments. Recognizing this, in the late twentieth century, the US government sought to control labor movements abroad as part of the Cold War contest for worldwide supremacy. In this work, Washington found an enthusiastic partner in the AFL-CIO’s anticommunist officials, who, in a shocking betrayal, for decades expended their energies to block revolutionary ideologies and militant class consciousness from taking hold in the workers’ movements of Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

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Book SynopsisAn insightful and timely reappraisal of international broadcasting as an instrument of discursive rather than 'soft' power and its contested role in Australia's Indo-Pacific regional statecraft. This book re-appraises the concept and utility of state-funded, multi-platform international broadcasting as an instrument of statecraft, which offers cultural representation with the political purpose of contesting relations of power. This at a time when issues of transnational media, the credibility of news and the perils of disinformation and information warfare, figure worryingly in public discourse. The book reflects the perspective of middle power Australia, the circumstances and options of which differ from a great power. It dissects and evaluates the political purpose and efficacy of international broadcasting, its means as an instrument of inter-cultural communication and the variables that enable or impede its effectiveness. The author draws both on extensive scholarly research and his extensive professional experience in journalism, international broadcasting and media management in Australia and internationally. Heriot proposes a model for the strategic analysis, application, organisational design and operation of multi-platform international broadcasting. Necessarily, the model is informed by an analysis that situates international broadcasting in relation to contemporary theories of soft/hard/smart power projection and inter-cultural communication. He applies the model to the contentious political history and performance of Australia's international broadcaster, Radio Australia, during the late Cold War decades of the twentieth century and asserts the relevance of this approach to an increasingly media-dense - though asymmetric - international environment. The model eschews general or coded descriptions of purpose and identifies six specific functions appropriate to the circumstances and imperatives of Australia as a resident power in the Indo-Pacific region. The flawed success of Radio Australia during the later years of the Cold War arose from the interaction of a broad range of external and internal variables to which it was exposed. These included geostrategic and national political factors; the formal prerogatives and constraints of the broadcaster's mandate in pursuing defined objectives; institutional relationships across government; Radio Australia's programming or editorial outlook, which determined information agendas and framed the coverage of issues; the production norms and socio-linguistic processes involved with inter-cultural communication; resource constraints and the effect of work design on the character and performance of the broadcaster; and the management of professional and cultural biases (including boundary work demarcations and in-group/out-group rivalry). This book offers an insightful reappraisal of international broadcasting as discursive rather than 'soft' power in service of democratic statecraft. This at a time when issues of transnational media, the credibility of news and the perils of disinformation and information warfare, figure worryingly in public discourse. Reflecting the perspective of middle power Australia, author Geoff Heriot locates the strategic utility of multi-platform international broadcasting with reference to contemporary theories of soft/hard/smart power projection and inter-cultural communication. He applies a fresh model of strategic analysis to the political history of Radio Australia, examining the various external and internal variables that resulted in its flawed success in political communication during the late Cold War period.Trade Review"Combining his top-notch scholarship and personal experience, Geoff Heriot has created an insightful multidisciplinary account of the rise and fall of Australian international broadcasting. Heriot deftly blends theoretical insights from international relations and communication with history to explore Radio Australia's contribution to its country's foreign policy. This is an important addition to the literature on Australia's foreign relations and middle power foreign policy, as well as international radio, and public diplomacy" - Nicholas J. Cull, author, Public Diplomacy: Foundations for Global Engagement in the Digital Age. "This valuable and original book deftly combines attention to soft power and its limits as a tool of analysis with deep knowledge of international broadcasting, especially giving fascinating insights into the history of Radio Australia" - Rodney Tiffen, Emeritus Professor in Government and International Relations at the University of Sydney. "International Broadcasting and its Contested Role in Australian Statecraftexamines a national broadcaster's influence on overseas audience. Identifying variables hampering international broadcasting, it assays the instrumental efficacy of broadcasting practice. Multiple sub-focuses, interdisciplinarity, readability and scholarship will be appreciated by researchers, course convenors and students of media and international communication" - Naren Chitty AM, Professor Emeritus, Inaugural Director, Soft Power Analysis and Resource Centre, Faculty of Arts, Macquarie University.Table of ContentsForeword - Professor Geoffrey Wiseman, DePaul University, Chicago; 1: Introduction; 2: Media and the Contest of Ideas; 3: International Broadcasting and Its Discursive Properties; 4: Mobilizing 'Softer' Power in a Hard World; 5: State Interests, National Evolution; 6: Framework of Functions and Performance; 7: The ABC - Generation Next; 8: Policy, Priorities and Qualified Independence; 9: Engaging with Audiences; 10: Indonesia, the Crucible; 11: Strategic Contingency and Chaos; 12: In the New Disorder.

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Book SynopsisThis book chronicles the history of early spaceflight and asks how American gender culture shaped the public image of the American astronaut and spaceflight technology during some of the tensest years of the Cold War era. While historians have pieced together the story of American women's fight for spaceflight, this work adds to the narrative by analyzing masculinity and the astronaut image by focusing on how that image came to terms with a perceived Cold War masculinity crisis. The astronaut image was informed by Cold War ideals of fixed gender binaries, specifically, the masculine ideal of control over technology. The American astronaut performed masculinity in space through his control of the space capsule. This emphasis on astronaut control helped mold a distinctly American (anti-communist) masculinity that appearedon the surface anywayto resolve not only an American masculinity crisis but helped win the Cold War on an ideological and popular level.The book begins by establishing a postWorld War II masculinity crisis dialogue. For instance, Americans saw communism, conformity, feminism, homosexuality, automation, minority rights, and the dreaded organization man as threats to masculinity. Drawing upon this scholarship, this book explores how this dialogue played out within the spaceflight public discourse from 1957 through 1983a time when cosmic conquest was integral to America's success in maintaining domestic security and morale while securing victory in the international conflict with the Soviets. Using primary sources from the public record, such as newspapers, magazines, media, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Congress, speeches, the astronaut's stories, and intellectual works, the book states that the American public discourse constructed the astronaut as an archetype of American masculinity through the spaceman's ability to control spaceflight technology. The assumption that the astronaut could fly the capsule insinuated an American masculinity of individualism apart from Soviet conformity. The American accentuation of pilot control continued from Project Mercury through Project Apollo, but it often clashed with computer control, space accidents, the scientist-astronaut, and mission control. These conflicts led the astronaut image to be refashioned into that of Michael Kimmel's democratic manhooda masculinity that encompassed the self-made man and the team player. Democratic manhood still centered on masculine control, either men as individuals or men working in teams. The moon landing symbolized that through astronaut control of technology, Americans had conquered space. Women and people of color were left out of this dialogue of technological control but played important roles as passive actors with technology. Control meant a white masculine performance with spaceflight technology. Running parallel to this need to create a fixed masculinity, women fought for their chance for spaceflight, while African Americans and Hispanics were largely feminized as non-technological users. With the 1969 moon conquest, the domestication of spaceflight quickly followed with the space shuttle taxis thatfor a short period anywaydemonstrated the safety of spaceflight. The book concludes that within this domesticated spaceflight framework, diverse women at NASAboth astronauts and staffchallenged fixed gender roles by proving themselves courageous, individual professionals in what by 1986 became the dangerous business of spaceflight.

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Book SynopsisAt the end of the Second World War, it quickly dawned on the West that the defeat of one totalitarian enemy - Hitler''s Germany - had left another, our late ally turned potential foe: Soviet Russia. This official assessment of the Red Army''s strength and standing, published in 1949, is therefore of consuming interest to students of the Cold War. It comprises a history of the Red Army from its formation in 1918 after the Bolshevik Revolution to its triumph in the Second World War. Then follows a section on the army''s command and control structure; notes on its post-war re-organisation; and two long chapters on tactics - including such subjects as tanks, air support; night attacks and artillery. There are more chapters on weapons, equipment, conditions of service, supply and airborne operations. With charts of command structures, and photographs and diagrams of important weapons, this is as complete a snapshot of a potentially hostile enemy force as can be imagined.

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Book Synopsis*A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK*The first book to tell the story of day-to-day life on the nuclear home front - from the host of #1 podcast Atomic Hobo'So entertaining' The Times 'Cracking' Sunday TelegraphThe atomic bombs of 1945 changed war forever. The awesome power of the blast and its deadly fallout meant home in Britain fell under the nuclear shadow, and the threat of annihilation coloured every aspect of ordinary life for the next forty years.Families were encouraged to construct makeshift shelters with cardboard and sandbags. Vicars and pub landlords learnt how to sound hand-wound sirens, offering four minutes to scramble to safety. Thousands volunteered to give nuclear first aid, often consisting of breakfast tea, herbal remedies, and advice on how to die without contaminating others. And while the public had to look after themselves, bunkers were readied for the officials and experts who would ensure life continued after the catastrophe.Today we may read about the Cold War and life in Britain under the shadow of the mushroom cloud with a sense of amusement and relief that the apocalypse did not happen. But it is also a timely and powerful reminder that, so long as nuclear weapons exist, the nuclear threat will always be with us.'Impossible to believe, just as hard to put down' Dan Snow'Simultaneously horrifying, weirdly nostalgic and darkly hilarIous' Mark Haddon, author of The PorpoiseTrade ReviewCracking * Sunday Telegraph *So entertaining * The Times *Very good ... A sobering book, but a gripping one * Spectator *Julie McDowall's thoroughly gripping study ... makes for genuinely startling and sometimes darkly funny reading... [it's] brilliantly chilling and sparkily engaging * Mail on Sunday *Attack Warning Red! is a timely reminder of the mind-blanking horror of nuclear warfare, as it menaces Europe once more * Sunday Times *Simultaneously horrifying, weirdly nostalgic and darkly hilarious * Mark Haddon, author of The Porpoise *Impossible to believe, just as hard to put down. Urgent. Terrifying * Dan Snow, historian and host of History Hit *Superb ... a lucid, totally compulsive read from beginning to end, chilling as well as profoundly empathetic in tone * Mick Jackson, director of Threads *Brilliant and unforgettable ... A beautifully writtern horror story and amazing work of research ... Julie McDowall has made the unreadable compulsive and the unthinkable thinkable, but above all this is a book that cherishes humanity in all its absurdity, intelligence, vulnerability, courage and, against all odds, belief in hope and survival * Juliet Nicolson, author of Frostquake *Captivating, chilling, and at times darkly humorous. A fascinating insight into Britain's preparations for surviving Armageddon, and the ghastly reality of what the aftermath of a nuclear war would actually be like * Lewis Dartnell, author of The Knowledge *Fascinating * Sir Lawrence Freedman, author of Command *How to prepare for Armageddon? Julie McDowell has written the best exploration yet of how successive British administrations grappled with the challenge of living under the shadow of nuclear war, with depth, compassion and very necessary dark humour * Prof. Mark Galeotti, author of The Weaponisation of Everything *This by turns harrowing and farcical book charts the reality of living under constant threat of nuclear oblivion * iPaper *Timely ... harrowing ... farcical ... the most surprising aspect of Attack Warning Red!, however, is that, alongside generous helpings of fear and unease, it carries a strong charge of nostalgia * Scotland on Sunday *Attack Warning Red! effectively pulls together many strands from this unsettling aspect of British history and weaves them in a way that will alarm and entertain * BBC History Magazine *A fascinating read * Radio Times *An atomic Dad's Army, McDowall's history of the UK's nuclear civil defence is full of hilarious gems * Daily Telegraph *McDowall's book has the tone of a podcast [...] She leads her audience round bunkers, propaganda films and government records, pointing out the horrifying, the unexpected and the absurd * London Review of Books *Most interesting * Times Literary Supplement *An unsettling festive read * Soldier *

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Book SynopsisThe death of Stalin; the Revolution in Cuba and the beginning of the Castro regime; the assassination of President Kennedy; the Watergate Scandal; and the dawn of perestroika. Iain Sutherland enjoyed a ring-side seat for all of these key moments of the 20th century, among many others. 'From Moscow to Cuba and Beyond' offers a lively and unique account of his experiences over the course of his long and fruitful diplomatic career. This culminated in the position of British Ambassador to Moscow at the tail end of the Cold War, when the Sutherlands witnessed the deaths of three Russian heads of state within three years - Brezhnev, Chernenko and Andropov - and the epoch-changing election of Gorbachev. Iain Sutherland and his wife, Jeanne, were posted to Russia, Cuba the United States and elsewhere, as the Foreign Service dictated. 'From Moscow to Cuba and Beyond' vividly evokes the joys as well as the difficulties of life as an expatriate and diplomat under Stalin, Tito and Castro, as well as of the particular demands of diplomatic life in the USA. Their unique perspective offers a stimulating and penetrating view of the 20th century which will be invaluable for anyone with an interest in diplomatic or political history.Trade Review"'A career centred largely on countries under communist rule calls for special qualities. It calls for a sense of service, willingness to be posted more than once to a capital where the political climate may at times be acutely uncongenial. It requires discretion, careful behaviour, cheerfulness, patience, the skills needed to interpret communist jargon, and ability cautiously to evaluate the signs of change. It helps if the diplomat and his wife take an interest in the history, the culture and the people of the country to which they are assigned and make it their task to develop personal relations within the limits of what is permitted. These qualities Iain and Jeanne Sutherland had in high degree.' - Lord Brimelow, former Permanent Under Secretary of the Foreign Office"Table of ContentsCONTENTS Introduction 1 Cold War in Moscow 1951-52 2 Stalin’s Death and after, Moscow 1952-54 3 Bloodshed at Bled, Yugoslavia 1956-59 4 Cuba Yes Yankee No! Revolution and Communism Cuban Style 1959-62 5 The Missile Crisis and the Crime of the Century: Washington 1962-65 6 Recovering from Sukarno and Konfrontasi: Indonesia 1967-69 7 Academe and Watergate, Harvard 1973-74 8 Sandwiches for the Chargé, Moscow Again 1974-76 9 Democracy in Athens 1978-82 10 Three Funerals, Moscow 1982-85 ______________________________________ Notes Bibliography Index Map

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Book SynopsisAfter the proclamation of the Truman Doctrine in 1947, the United States became deeply involved in Greek affairs. By 1952, however, the pro-Western government of Marshal Papagos began to support the nationalist ‘Enosis’ movement in Cyprus and called for an end to British colonial rule in the island. The opposition of the US, Britain and Turkey to these demands brought Greece face-to-face with its closest allies at the United Nations in 1954 and led to the outbreak of the first major crisis within NATO since its creation. Greece and the Cold War examines these developments from the novel perspective of critical international theory and exposes the unexplored connections between dependence and nationalism in Greek foreign policy. Drawing on a wide range of American, British and Greek archival sources, it argues that nationalism and compliance with the collective interests of NATO were two irreconcilable objectives in Greek foreign policy after 1952. At the same time, the book tells the story of how the post-Civil War governments of Greece, for a variety of political, cultural and ideological reasons, treated these two objectives as essentially compatible, resulting in the adoption of a dualist policy. This self-contradictory diplomatic doctrine, which the author refers to as “dependent nationalism”, lies at the heart of Greece’s post-War failures both to emancipate its politics from US intervention and to peacefully end its regional dispute with Turkey over Cyprus. The book deploys an interdisciplinary approach which brings together the diverse perspectives of diplomatic history, foreign policy analysis and political sociology.Trade ReviewA compelling history that alerts the reader to the geopolitics of the Greek world and the word. Absorbing in its details while eye-opening in its transnational conceptualization. * Gonda Van Steen, Koraes Chair of Modern Greek and Byzantine History, Language and Literature, King’s College London, UK *Interweaving an account of Greek foreign policy in the wake of Greece’s civil war with the latest International Relations theory, Alexander Kazamias achieves the impossible: a solid work of history, based on extensive archival research, which is located within a sophisticated conceptual framework. * Martyn Rady, Masaryk Professor Emeritus of Central European History, UCL, UK *In this trenchant analysis of Greek foreign policy, Alexander Kazamias shows how resurgent irredentism, far from being independent of colonialism, could fatally fuse with the self-interested goals of a declining but still massively powerful British imperium and the virulent anti-communism of the Cold War. Rejecting political and cultural stereotypes, Kazamias crafts a disturbingly credible account of how this toxic ideological brew has continued to plague Greek foreign relations while concomitantly condemning Cyprus to geopolitical limbo. He thereby elucidates the long-term effects of colonialism and its reincarnation in postcolonial hegemonies. * Michael Herzfeld, author of Subversive Archaism: Troubling Traditionalists and the Politics of National Heritage *Table of ContentsIntroduction Conceptualizing the Dualism of Greek Foreign Policy Hegemony, Dependence and the US Policy Review of 1952 The Domestic Structures of the Post-Civil War Political System From Dependence to Dualism: Cyprus enters Greek Foreign Policy Dependent Nationalism: ‘Operating between two Notions’ The Semi-Internationalization of the Cyprus Question: The UN Appeal The Dualist Aspects of Foreign Economic Policy Conclusion Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisStalin's American Spy tells the remarkable story of Noel Field, a Soviet agent in the US State Department in the mid-1930s. Lured to Prague in May 1949, he was kidnapped and handed over to the Hungarian secret police. Tortured by them and interrogated too by their Soviet superiors, Field's forced 'confessions' were manipulated by Stalin and his East European satraps to launch a devastating series of show-trials that led to the imprisonment and judicial murder of numerous Czechoslovak, German, Polish and Hungarian party members. Yet there were other events in his very strange career that could give rise to the suspicion that Field was an American spy who had infiltrated the Communist movement at the behest of Allen Dulles, the wartime OSS chief in Switzerland who later headed the CIA. Never tried, Field and his wife were imprisoned in Budapest until 1954, then granted political asylum in Hungary, where they lived out their sterile last years. This new biography takes a fresh look at Field's relationship with Dulles, and his role in the Alger Hiss affair. It sheds fresh light upon Soviet espionage in the United States and Field's relationship with Hede Massing, Ignace Reiss and Walter Krivitsky. It also reassesses how the increasingly anti-Semitic East European show-trials were staged and dissects the 'lessons' which Stalin sought to convey through them.Trade Review'Sharp's gripping book provides the most detailed account of Noel Field, [whose] journey from a pro-communist Westerner to a pawn in Stalin's Hungarian show trials is unusual and enlightening... invaluable for gaining an insight into one of the many mysteries of the Cold War.' * Budapest Business Journal *'Stalin's American Spy is a compelling piece of work. It is historically rich, and yet moves along like a novel. Noel Field can be seen as an emblem of the ideology war of the '30s and its lost history. Moving and impressive.' * Robert Dover, author of Learning from the Secret Past: Cases in British Intelligence History *'This is a superb and original book in a much under-researched area. A fine work of history.' * Gerry Hughes, Lecturer in Military History, Aberystwyth University, and author of Britain, Germany and the Cold War: the search for a European Detente, 1949-1967 *'This is the first truly authentic, comprehensive and factual analysis in English of the fascinating life of Noel Field, one of the most mysterious figures on Stalin's chessboard of spies, agents and stooges. The author's gripping account is more than a personal biography of a legendary figure. This book is also essential reading for understanding the world of Stalinist show trials and key chapters of the Cold War in Europe.' * Paul Lendvai, journalist and author of Hungary: Between Democracy and Authoritarianism and Austria: New Challenges, Old Demons *

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Book SynopsisOne of the outstanding mysteries of the twentieth century, and one with huge political resonance, is the death of Dag Hammarskjold and his UN team in a plane crash in central Africa in 1961. Just minutes after midnight, his aircraft plunged into thick forest in the British colony of Northern Rhodesia (Zambia), abruptly ending his mission to bring peace to the Congo. Across the world, many suspected sabotage, accusing the multi-nationals and the governments of Britain, Belgium, the USA and South Africa of involvement in the disaster. These suspicions have never gone away.British High Commissioner Lord Alport was waiting at the airport when the aircraft crashed nearby. He bizarrely insisted to the airport management that Hammarskjold had flown elsewhere - even though his aircraft was reported overhead. This postponed a search for so long that the wreckage of the plane was not found for fifteen hours. White mercenaries were at the airport that night too, including the South African pilot Jerry Puren, whose bombing of Congolese villages led, in his own words, to 'flaming huts ...destruction and death'. These soldiers of fortune were backed by Sir Roy Welensky, Prime Minister of the Rhodesian Federation, who was ready to stop at nothing to maintain white rule and thought the United Nations was synonymous with the Nazis. The Rhodesian government conducted an official inquiry, which blamed pilot error. But as this book will show, it was a massive cover-up that suppressed and dismissed a mass of crucial evidence, especially that of African eye-witnesses. A subsequent UN inquiry was unable to rule out foul play - but had no access to the evidence to show how and why. Now, for the first time, this story can be told. Who Killed Hammarskjold follows the author on her intriguing and often frightening journey of research to Zambia, South Africa, the USA, Sweden, Norway, Britain, France and Belgium, where she unearthed a mass of new and hitherto secret documentary and photographic evidence.Trade Review'[Williams] has done a fine job of marshalling new evidence and painting a vivid picture of a past era of Rhodesian colonists in long socks and white shorts, and of cold war politics played out through vicious proxy wars in Africa.' * Sunday Times *'Part detective, part archivist, part journalist, Williams schmoozed spies, befriended diplomats and mercenaries and won the trust of Hammarskjold's still grieving relatives and UN colleagues to get her tale. She unwinds each thread of the narrative with infinite patience, leading us carefully down the tortuous paths of Cold War intrigue.' * The Spectator *'A startling, meticulous, convincing book, written in the understated prose of a Scandinavian crime thriller.' * Simon Kuper, The Financial Times *'Susan Williams' fascinating book explores the unresolved issues surrounding his death in a plane crash in central Africa. With the help of her engaging and no-nonsense style - part Miss Marple, part No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency - we are led through the messy, ugly and secretive dark arts of decolonisation in a world of white supremacists and Cold War lunatics. Kids: don't try this at home.' * Times Higher Education *'This welcome, and highly readable, historical detective story sheds yet more mystery on the sad fate of Dag Hammarskjold, arguably the most significant and influential UN secretary general. ... What the book does very well, through extremely thorough research of an international nature, is to highlight the controversies surrounding the crash and the numerous investigations into it. ... this is an important piece of research. It should be read by all those concerned with the activities of right-wing politicians and businessmen and their links to mercenaries, intelligence operations and European economic dominance in the post-independence Congo; and by those concerned with whoever may have been responsible for Hammarskjold's death and the weakening of the UN.' * International Affairs *'This engaging book marks a concerted effort to explore the historical mysteries that shroud the UN Secretary-General's death. ... This is a fascinating, meticulously researched, and easy-to-read study of the events surrounding the episode.' * African Affairs *'Susan Williams' impressive probing draws together previously secret archived material and witness statements never before aired. The book is rigorously academic, with intensive referencing and quotes from expert informants, but it is also an intriguing whodunnit, albeit one with particularly sombre connotations,' * The Canberra Times *'Susan Williams has produced a compelling account from a monumental amount of historical detective work and encounters with an extraordinary range of personalities, some of them extremely shady.' * The Witness (South Africa) *'Fascinating book...' * New Internationalist *'Immensely impressive … Williams writes with clarity and knowledge, demonstrating a depth of understanding of this crucial period in the history of the UN.' * Irish Examiner *'Susan Williams' fascinating book explores the unresolved issues surrounding his death in a plane crash in central Africa. With the help of her engaging and no-nonsense style – part Miss Marple, part No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency – we are led through the messy, ugly and secretive dark arts of decolonisation in a world of white supremacists and Cold War lunatics. Kids: don't try this at home.' * Times Higher Education *'This welcome, and highly readable, historical detective story sheds yet more mystery on the sad fate of Dag Hammarskjöld, arguably the most significant and influential UN secretary general. … What the book does very well, through extremely thorough research of an international nature, is to highlight the controversies surrounding the crash and the numerous investigations into it. … this is an important piece of research. It should be read by all those concerned with the activities of right-wing politicians and businessmen and their links to mercenaries, intelligence operations and European economic dominance in the post-independence Congo; and by those concerned with whoever may have been responsible for Hammarskjöld's death and the weakening of the UN.' * International Affairs *'This engaging book marks a concerted effort to explore the historical mysteries that shroud the UN Secretary-General's death. … This is a fascinating, meticulously researched, and easy-to-read study of the events surrounding the episode.' * African Affairs *'This is an extraordinary story, narrated with clarity and devastating effect. Susan Williams is to be congratulated for shining a light onto a very strange and disturbing incident. The result is a gripping and astonishing read.' * Alexander McCall Smith, novelist, author of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series *'Susan Williams' impressive probing draws together previously secret archived material and witness statements never before aired. The book is rigorously academic, with intensive referencing and quotes from expert informants, but it is also an intriguing whodunnit, albeit one with particularly sombre connotations,' * The Canberra Times *'Susan Williams has produced a compelling account from a monumental amount of historical detective work and encounters with an extraordinary range of personalities, some of them extremely shady.' * The Witness (South Africa) *'Williams has done remarkable research … to gallantly demonstrate that the UN, the Cold War and White Supremacy in Africa, directly or indirectly, caused Hammarskjold's crash. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of the Congo and decolonization; it is very well researched, lucidly written and provides an alternative point of view to a subject that Europe refuses to claim responsibility for.' * African Studies Bulletin *'The author's scrupulous research shines through this book's carefully argued narrative. … All the evidence she uncovers points to the Hammarskjöld plane crash being the culmination of an assassination plot—and put into current context, with Congo peace talks breaking down at the AU in Addis Ababa … it is a story that continues to unfold.' * Stephen Williams, African Business *

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Book SynopsisThe American military presence in Scotland during the Cold War was greater than in either of the World Wars, bringing with it the largest peace-time number of foreign military personnel in Scotland’s history. This military power was delivered by individuals – the forgotten heroes. They worked to high standards of professionalism and most had no true concept of the danger they faced from the Soviet threat. This reality was only ever confronted during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. The author, a former Cold War special forces officer, brings his personal expertise into play, examining this intriguing story by reaching out to more than one hundred veterans and expert witnesses. Their contributions cover the nitty-gritty end of history, not high-end diplomacy. This fast-moving account of their endeavours, often in long working conditions, highlights the value of teamwork, training and determination. It is clear that Scotland would have been a Soviet target of necessity once the American bases were established. Scotland was of great importance to the United States during the Cold War and this research shows that, for more than thirty years, Scotland was the capstone in Washington’s early Cold War strategy. Scotland was an active centre of US strategic operations and the vital importance of its geographic position is clearly demonstrated as each location is examined, and its benefits listed. There were six significant bases, the most important being America’s only nuclear-armed submarine squadron in the Holy Loch. He details the operations which were carried out by the large radio spy stations (SIGINT) at Kirknewton, Thurso and Edzell. And he reveals for the first time America’s most bizarre intelligence gathering activity of the early Cold War, which also took place in Scotland. Overall, this book provides an important addition to the conventional US/UK Cold War narrative. The United States desperately needed the assistance Scotland provided and the author presents a convincing narrative that Scotland was at the epicentre of the Cold War’s most terrifying episode – the Cuban Missile Crisis. Kennedy’s success was greatly assisted by these Scottish bases which provided him with the firepower and intelligence to outwit Khrushchev. One section of the book deals with the visit of JFK’s top advisor to Holy Loch – a story that has never been revealed before. It emphasises the simple fact that Scotland’s role was a game changer. An interesting theme throughout the book is the espionage effort mounted by the KGB against these bases. The author has interviewed senior intelligence officers and their input is revealing. These were exciting times for the young Americans who crossed the ocean to serve their country and this is their Cold War story.

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Book SynopsisThis guide exposes the reality behind the war between capitalism and communism, two ideologies divided by the Iron Curtain. New revelations show that what was once regarded as simply a struggle between good and evil was in fact a far more complex affair. Merrilyn Thomas peels back the layers of deception and intrigue and offers a penetrating assessment of the legacy of instability that continues today.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents a study of Yiddish in the Cold War through the ideological confrontations between Communist Yiddish literati in the Soviet Union, United States, Canada, Poland, France and Israel. It discusses the intellectual environments of the Moscow literary journal Sovetish Heymland.Trade Review...a concise, fascinating, and highly readable account of the role and fate of Yiddish during the Cold War...' -- Jewish Book World Jewish Book World This meticulously researched book is the first comprehensive English-language study of Yiddish in the Communist world after the murder of Soviet Yiddish writers on 12 August 1952. Estraikh's story more or less begins where everyone else's ends. For this alone, Estraikh's book is an important corrective to our understanding of Yiddish in general, and Soviet Yiddish culture in particular. Just because Stalin said he'd killed off Yiddish culture didn't make it so... Full of amazing research. -- East European Jewish Affairs East European Jewish Affairs Yiddish in the Cold War tells an important story in the history of twentieth-century Yiddish. The book's focus on the internal machinations of the editorial boards of Communist Yiddish periodicals, though, cuts short any broader observations about the Cold War per se... One hopes that Estraikh's new work will stimulate more research into Yiddish culture in the postwar Soviet Union. -- The Russian Review The Russian Review A carefully researched monograph about a hitherto hidden corner of Yiddish culture during a period of contraction. -- Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish StudiesTable of Contents1. Pain and Consolation 2. Soviet Jewish Life in the 1950s 3. Cultural Diplomacy 4. Imagining Soviet Jews 5. A Brave Face on a Sorry Business

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Book SynopsisStalin, to borrow Churchill’s phrase, is “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma”. There are still heated arguments about how precisely we should judge the Georgian student priest who grew up to be one of the 20th century’s most notorious mass-murderers. This owes much to the enormity of the crimes, as Claire Shaw says in this short but chilling book about the man and the political system that developed under his rule: Stalinism. (Very few political regimes have been personalised in such a way Nazism does not bear the name of Hitler, for example). What visions underpinned his actions? What mechanisms enabled him to commit his crimes? Why did nobody stop him? Within Stalin’s lifetime, Russia and her neighbours endured a series of violent revolutions, two world wars, the forced collectivisation of agriculture, a major industrialisation drive, and the violent cataclysms of the Purges. A vast social experiment was launched radically to remake the nature of human society on the basis of equality and the redistribution of wealth; its implementation resulted in a violent and coercive regime that had little respect for human life or the natural world. But it is too easy to dismiss Stalin simply as a monster. Too easy and wrong. What is most chilling about Stalin, as this book shows, is that he was all too human. 

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Book SynopsisRichard Pike became a flight cadet in 1961, at the RAF College, Cranwell where, on graduation, he was awarded the Dickson Trophy and Michael Hill memorial prize for flying. In the early stages of his forty-year flying career he flew the English Electric Lightning before converting to the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom. On leaving the Royal Air Force he became a civilian helicopter pilot. His duties took him to a wide variety of destinations at home and overseas including the Falkland Islands not long after the end of the Falklands War. His last assignment was in Kosovo helping to distribute emergency humanitarian aid on behalf of the United Nations World Food Programme. He and his wife live in Aberdeenshire.Trade Review`I am sure that I will not be alone in hoping that a third book will be added to the collection in the near future.' Pilot magazine; `A superb sequel to Pike's bestseller. Lightning Boys 2 is another factual and fascinating, humorous and inspiring account of his own and other pilots' experiences of the iconic aircraft. This new book will not only appeal to readers from that time, but inspire new generations to consider the RAF as a career.' The Aberdeen Press & Journal; `Lavishly illustrated throughout in colour and black and white, containing annexes of selected biographies and a comprehensive index, this book must not only appeal to Lightning buffs but to any reader with an interest in military aviation. Highly recommended.' Air Mail

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Book SynopsisTwenty-four aircrew who flew the iconic aircraft with the Fleet Air Arm, the Royal Air Force and the South African Air Force (SAAF) relate their experiences and affection for the Blackburn Buccaneer. Arranged in chronological order, the book traces the history of the aircraft and the tasks it fulfilled. In addition to describing events and activities, it provides an insight into the lifestyle of a Buccaneer squadron and the fun and enjoyment of being a `Buccaneer Boy' in addition to being part of a highly professional and dedicated force. This lavishly illustrated book concludes with accounts of the aircraft's final days in RAF service and some reflections on its impact on maritime and overland air power.Trade Review`This wonderful book is entertaining and thoroughly engaging. The quality speaks for itself and I have no hesitation in recommending it to you.' War History Online; `An absorbing book... well illustrated throughout.' Flypast; `Comprehensively illustrated, and filled with outstanding tales of the excitement of Buccaneer flying in both peacetime and war. Buccaneer Boys is an excellent read. For those who served during the 60s to 90s Cold War period, it is a must. For anyone with an interest in aviation, it is a most enjoyable book. Air Mail; `An excellent insight into the aircraft and those who flew it.' Britain at War; `The descriptions of flying activities and incidents are vivid, some of the anecdotes are laugh-out-loud amusing and references to that sense of `community' and a real affection for the aeroplane just keep cropping up. I strongly recommend this book. It's a very good and entertaining read.' RAF Historical Society Journal; `This book takes pride of place on the shelf at home and no doubt will be read again and again and not be left on the shelf too often - Recommended.' Vintage & Classic; It's a very pacey and painlessly readable, often exciting, and sometimes poignant assemblage of reminiscences from "Buccaneer world"...In affecting and arresting style this recent publication conveys why the Buccaneer meant so much to its crews and engendered such persistent esprit de corps in their "club".' Derek Reed, Vice President of Yorkshire Air Museum

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Book SynopsisNimrod Boys is a complementary book to Nimrod Rise and Fall from acclaimed author Tony Blackman. It is a collection of over twenty first-hand accounts of operating the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod – an aircraft which served at the forefront of the Cold War. As the first jet-powered maritime aircraft, it could reach critical points for rescues or for operational requirements in rapid time. Its outstanding navigation and electronics systems also allowed the Nimrod to be a first-class machine in anti-submarine warfare. The book focuses on the Nimrod’s UK-based and worldwide operations. With detailed accounts of the Nimrod’s role during the Falklands Campaign and in later conflicts such as the First Gulf War to modern-day anti-drug smuggling operations in the Caribbean. There are also descriptions of the Nimrod’s achievements in the International Fincastle Competition – where RAF squadrons competed against counterparts from Australia, Canada and New Zealand. With a variety of perspectives on Nimrod crew life, including from a female air electronic operator, readers will find dramatic, engaging and occasionally humorous stories. One flight test observer also reflects on the cancelled Nimrod MR4 project. Nimrod Boys written by Tony Blackman with Joe Kennedy and with a foreword by AVM Andrew Roberts is more than worthy addition to the celebrated Boys series.

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Book SynopsisThe war on the Eastern Front during 1941-45 was an immense struggle, running from the Barents Sea to the Caucasus Mountains. The vast distances involved forced the Soviet political-military leadership to resort to new organizational expedients in order to control operations along the extended front. These were the high commands of the directions, which were responsible for two or more fronts (army groups) and, along maritime axes, one or more fleets.In all, five high commands were created along the northwestern, western, southwestern, and North Caucasus strategic directions during 1941-42. However, the highly unfavourable strategic situation during the first year of the war, as well as interference in day-to-day operations by Stalin, severely limited the high commands' effectiveness. As a consequence, the high commands were abolished in mid-1942 and replaced by the more flexible system of supreme command representatives at the front. A High Command of Soviet Forces in the Far East was established in 1945 and oversaw the Red Army's highly effective campaign against Japanese forces in Manchuria.The Far Eastern High Command was briefly resurrected in 1947 as a response to the tense situation along the Korean peninsula and the ongoing civil war in China, but was abolished in 1953, soon after Stalin's death. Growing tensions with China brought about the recreation of the Far Eastern High Command in 1979, followed a few years later by the appearance of new high commands in Europe and South Asia. However, these new high commands did not long survive the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and were abolished a year later.The book relies almost exclusively on Soviet and post-communist archival and other sources and is the first unclassified treatment of this subject in any country, East or West.Trade Review[P]rovides valuable and original research that reveals a great deal about the Soviet Union’s military command structure during World War II, with a few important insights into the almost fifty years that followed. * Journal of Military History 11/01/2023 *The book’s lively and colorful but precise style suits its highly technical and theoretical subject matter...an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the Soviet military. * Parameters 07/12/2022 *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Imperial Antecedents 2. Soviet Antecedents 3. Organizing for War 4. The Northwestern High Command 5. The Western High Command 6. The Southwestern High Command 7. The North Caucasus High Command 8. The Stavka Representatives 9. The Far Eastern High Command 10. The Postwar High Commands Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis textbook provides a dynamic and concise overview of the Cold War. Offering balanced coverage of the whole era, it takes a firmly global approach, showing how at various times the focus of East-West rivalry shifted to new and surprising venues, from Laos to Katanga, from Nicaragua to Angola. Throughout, Jenkins emphasises intelligence, technology and religion, as well as highlighting themes that are relevant to the present day. A rich array of popular culture examples is used to demonstrate how the crisis was understood and perceived by mainstream audiences across the world, and the book includes three ‘snapshot’ chapters, which offer an overview of the state of play at pivotal moments in the conflict – 1946, 1968 and 1980 – in order to illuminate the inter-relationship between apparently discrete situations. This is an essential introduction for students studying Cold War, twentieth century or Global history.Table of Contents1. IntroductionPart One: Between Wars? 1945-19672. Origins: The World In 19463. The Struggle For Europe4. Nuclear Perils5. Asian Theaters6. Decolonization and Third World Struggles7. Khrushchev and KennedyPart Two: Living in the Cold War8. National Security and Repression9. Spies, Saboteurs, and Defectors10. Cold War CulturesPart Three: The Struggle Redefined: 1968-199111. Crisis of Ideologies: The World in 196812. A Cold Peace, or War by Other Means?13. Four Minutes to Midnight: The World in 198014. The New Struggle15. Endgame16. Conclusion: Winners, Losers, and Inheritors

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Book SynopsisThis edited volume examines entanglements and disentanglements between Africa and East Germany during and after the Cold War from a global history perspective. Extending the view beyond political elites, it asks for the negotiated and plural character of socialism in these encounters and sheds light on migration, media, development, and solidarity through personal and institutional agency. With its distinctive focus on moorings and unmoorings, the volume shows how the encounters, albeit often brief, significantly influenced both African and East German histories.

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