Search results for ""daylight""

‘Extremely fast paced and completely page-turning … like a nerve-shredding fusion of James Patterson and Thomas Harris, with a terrifying final act that will stay in my mind for a long time’ B P Walter, Sunday Times-bestselling author of The Dinner Guest He isn’t who you think he is… When Leah Talbot crashes her car one night, she spots a light on in a nearby house and approaches, hoping that someone is home. He is. Charming, handsome, Martin Tate answers the door to the bedraggled and traumatised Leah, inviting her in. Though she’s not there for long, Leah feels an indescribable pull to the man who has helped in her hour of need. But when she returns the next morning to say thank you, it isn’t Martin who answers the door this time. It’s the police. There’s been a brutal murder and the female homeowner is lying dead in a pool of blood upstairs in bed. There’s no sign of Martin… Until he comes looking for Leah. The Good Neighbour is a nerve-shredding domestic suspense thriller of secrets and serial killers perfect for fans of Sharon Bolton and S. E. Lynes. Readers can’t get enough of The Good Neighbour: ‘CREEPY!! … I’ve been up all night turning pages and now I can't sleep until daylight’ 5-star reader review ‘One of the creepiest ever opening chapters … delivers nailbiting suspense’ Kathleen, NetGalley ‘Sucked me in right from the beginning … It’s rare to read a book that keeps you guessing even when you put it down’ Nicole, NetGalley ‘Had me sitting on the edge of my seat … I couldn’t put it down it was so gripping!’ Amy, NetGalley ‘Addictive, chilling, compelling … I could go on and on. You’ll definitely think twice about knocking at a stranger’s door’ Karena, NetGalley ‘Omg! This fascinatingly riveting page turner makes you anxious, sit at the edge of your seat squirming’ Erin, NetGalley ‘What a wild ride! Great twist at the end’ Nikki, NetGalley ‘A game of cat and mouse that will keep you hooked to the end’ Jay, NetGalley

Read more less

Since the end of World War 2, the tactical air war over Europe has been largely overlooked by historians and authors alike in favour of analysis of the higher profile strategic bombing campaign. Involving just as many aircraft as the daylight heavy bombing campaign, the fighter-bombers (principally of the Ninth Air Force) wreaked considerably more havoc on German ground forces. Indeed, Thunderbolt units undertaking such missions effectively complemented the strategic campaign, ensuring the defeat of Nazi Germany. P-47 pilots paid a high price to achieve this victory, however, as the German flak arm was well equipped (nearly a quarter of all war-related production was devoted to anti-aircraft weaponry) with weapons of various calibres to counter tactical air power’s low to medium altitude threat. The USAAF four numbered air forces that saw action over the European continent suffered significant fighter-bomber losses to flak. The principle fighter-bomber from the summer of 1944 through to VE Day was the P-47D, with both dedicated ground attack units and squadrons that had completed their bomber escort tasking seeking out targets of opportunity across occupied Western Europe. While heavy-calibre anti-aircraft fire was intended to both shoot down enemy aircraft and force bombers to drop their ordnance sooner or from higher altitudes, thus reducing bombing accuracy, low-altitude flak batteries put up a virtual ‘wall of steel’ for enemy fighter-bombers to fly through. Damaging a low-flying fighter-bomber made it easier for other flak gunners to track, engage and destroy it. Innovations like lead-computing gunsights gave gunners a higher probability of intercepting low-altitude fighters. Conversely, the appearance of air-to-ground rockets beneath the wings of P-47s gave pilots better standoff range and a harder-hitting punch when dealing with low and medium altitude flak units. This volume analyses the tactics and techniques used by both P-47 fighter-bomber pilots and German flak gunners, featuring full-colour illustrations to examine the Allied tactical air power in Europe from 1943 and how German defences were overpowered by the air threat.

Read more less

Many stories abound of the daring exploits of the RAF's young fighter pilots defying the might of Hitler's Luftwaffe, and of the dogged courage of the men of Bomber Command flying night after night over Germany in the face of flak and Focke-Wulfs, yet little has been written about the pilots who provided the key evidence that guided the RAF planners - the aerial photographers.Ken Johnson joined No.1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit as an eighteen-year-old and soon found himself at the controls of a Spitfire high above enemy territory. The PRU aircraft were stripped of all non-essential equipment to increase their performance, because speed and height was their only protection as the aircraft's guns were among those items that were removed.In this light-hearted reminiscence, Ken Johnson relives his training and transfer to an operational unit, but not the one he had expected. He had asked if he could fly Spitfires. He was granted that request, only to find himself joining a rare band of flyers who took to the skies alone, and who flew in broad daylight to photograph enemy installations with no radios and no armament. Unlike the fighter pilots who sought out enemy aircraft, the pilots of the PRU endeavoured to avoid all contact; returning safely with their vital photographs was their sole objective.As well as flying in northern Europe, Ken Johnson was sent to North Africa, where his squadron became part of the United States Army Air Force North West African Photographic Wing (NAPRW). In this role, he flew across southern Europe, photographing targets in France and Italy."The Spy in the Sky" fills a much-needed gap in the history of the RAF and, uniquely, the USAAF during the latter stages of the Second World War. AUTHOR: Kenneth Johnson was born in Leicester on 5 December 1922. He led an unremarkable childhood, except that he had a penchant for building and repairing bicycles and motorcycles, and learning how to operate them. By the age of 17 he had saved enough money to buy a second-hand car and went to work in a furniture store in Coventry. The Second World War then intervened in his future! 16 b/w illustrations

Read more less

Churchills Few will forever be remembered by history as men who thwarted the seemingly invincible German war machine, when all seemed lost. They countered the full force of the Luftwaffe in the daylight battles during the summer of 1940, and in the night skies of the winter and spring of 1940/41. They were at the time, and still are, perceived as knights of the air, as our heroes. Now, five distinguished RAF airmen, four pilots and one radar operator/navigator, who fought that air battle during the Battle of Britain and the Blitz, have recounted their experiences in detail to author Steve Darlow. Their stories have never before been published, and they talk engagingly of their service life, combats, losses, injuries, friendships and fears flying Spitfires, Hurricanes, Blenheims, Beaufighters and Havocs. One pilot tells of the time he fell victim to the enemy My Spitfire stopped being a flying machine, it became a lump of metal. I was going down with it and I couldnt get out. I broke the seat by standing on it. The pressure throwing me into the bottom was terrific A Beaufighter radar operator remembers being involved in shooting down a German aircraft He took a vertical dive, struck the ground and exploded with a shower of incendiaries. I felt like a child with a new toy. I had at last proved myself but for some reason I suddenly felt a little sad. But Five of the Few is not just about the experiences of these men during 1940/41. They would also distinguish themselves in subsequent air campaigns night defence of the UK, offensive operations over the continent and support to D-Day and beyond. In between the aerial combats and ground attack operations, promotions, decorations and command responsibilities would come their way. But not all would make it through safely to the end of the war. One would end up behind barbed wire. Collectively Five of the Few is a war story of youth maturing, through aspiration and idealism, courage and bravado, fear and heroism, memory and reflection. It is a reminder of why so much was owed, and still is, by so many to so few.

Read more less

The great Gothic cathedrals of Europe are among the most astonishing achievements of Western culture. Evoking feelings of awe and humility, they make us want to understand what inspired the people who had the audacity to build them. This engrossing book surveys an era that has fired the historical imagination for centuries. In it Robert A. Scott explores why medieval people built Gothic cathedrals, how they built them, what conception of the divine lay behind their creation, and how religious and secular leaders used cathedrals for social and political purposes. As a traveler's companion or a rich source of knowledge for the armchair enthusiast, "The Gothic Enterprise" helps us understand how ordinary people managed such tremendous feats of physical and creative energy at a time when technology was rudimentary, famine and disease were rampant, the climate was often harsh, and communal life was unstable and incessantly violent. While most books about Gothic cathedrals focus on a particular building or on the cathedrals of a specific region, "The Gothic Enterprise" considers the idea of the cathedral as a humanly created space. Scott discusses why an impoverished people would commit so many social and personal resources to building something so physically stupendous and what this says about their ideas of the sacred, especially the vital role they ascribed to the divine as a protector against the dangers of everyday life. Scott's narrative offers a wealth of fascinating details concerning daily life during medieval times. The author describes the difficulties master-builders faced in scheduling construction that wouldn't be completed during their own lifetimes, how they managed without adequate numeric systems or paper on which to make detailed drawings, and how climate, natural disasters, wars, variations in the hours of daylight throughout the year, and the celebration of holy days affected the pace and timing of work. Scott also explains such things as the role of relics, the quarrying and transporting of stone, and the incessant conflict cathedral-building projects caused within their communities. Finally, by drawing comparisons between Gothic cathedrals and other monumental building projects, such as Stonehenge, Scott expands our understanding of the human impulses that shape our landscape.

Read more less

Albert Dean Rosellini served two terms as governer of the state of Washington, from 1957 to 1964. In an era now commonly thought of as conservative and complacent, he was an activist leader whose main causes are mirrored in contemporary politics. In this portrait of Albert D. Rosellini’s early life and active career in politics, Payton Smit depicts an energetic, pragmatic statesman in a region just moving into political and economic maturity.More than any other person, Rosellini was responsible for the long overdue restructuring of the state’s prison and mental health systems, introducing both fiscal and human accountability. His interest in transportation led to the Evergreen Point, Hood Canal, Astoria-Megler, and Goldendale bridges as well as an expanded highway system. His reforms in state budgeting brought the state’s financial decisions into the daylight, making detailed scrutiny and accountability possible for the first time, while his work on commerce and trade helped bring the state into its modern position as a player in the Pacific Rim economies. He was a legislative father of the University of Washington’s medical/dental schools, and his support of higher education enriched the state’s universities and colleges and created a sound, comprehensive junior college system.Rosellini was the first Italian-American and the first Catholic governor west of the Mississippi. The only son of immigrant parents, he worked to support his family while finishing high school in three years and then passed the bar exam at age twenty-three. Six years later he was elected to the Washington State Senate as its youngest member. One of the New Deal Democratic majority, he quickly gained an insight into the legislative process that served him throughout his career.A warm, caring man with a genuine empathy for people, Rosellini played out his political career against the evolving attitudes toward ethnicity and class in Washington State and the nation. As a shrewd politician, he was quick to utilize the power of the media to shape issues and campaigns. Always controversial, he was suspected of corruption and illegal ties to liquor and gambling, simply on the basis of his Italian background. Yet in many areas he left a legacy that has allowed the state to prosper and flourish. The story of Rosellini’s strengths and weaknesses, and how they contributed to his success as a governor and detracted form his ability to exercise political leadership, is a unique part of Washington’s history.

Read more less

This is the enthralling story of a young man who found himself at the epicentre of one of the biggest turning points in recent history - The Battle of Britain. Guided by the diaries that he meticulously kept throughout his wartime experience and that lay unread for over eighty years, Victor Howard Ekins' story is one of duty, loss, friendship and love. He would meet his wife Kim, a plotter' serving at RAF Kenley, during the intensity of the Battle of Britain and their relationship would go on to flourish against all odds. He also rose through the ranks to become a Squadron Leader who was admired and respected by those who served with him. As an inexperienced Sergeant pilot, Victor was posted to 111 Squadron three weeks into the Battle of Britain. The baptism of fire that he went on to experience would stay with him for a lifetime as his squadron was decimated after relentlessly pursuing the tactic of the head on attack. He was caught on the ground during the bombing of RAF Croydon on 15 August 1940, and would fight in the skies above RAF Kenley during The Hardest Day'. He would also be one of the airmen tasked with defending London against the first of the huge daylight bombing raids that took place on 7 September 1940. After 111 Squadron was withdrawn from the front line due to its extreme losses, Victor was posted to 501 Squadron. On 27 September 1940, he was shot down and seriously injured as a bullet passed through his stomach and smashed into the controls of his Hurricane. Miraculously, he would go on to land by parachute in a Canadian field hospital, the staff of which were able to save his life and would return to the action within just 8 weeks. Victor became part of the brotherhood of 501 Squadron and served on the front line for a gruelling twenty-one months before eventually being given a rest. A promotion to Squadron Leader followed where he was given command of 19 Squadron and placed at the heart of offensive operations over occupied Europe. After a year of intense action, Victor would form an unforgettable bond with his boys' who would forever hold a special place in his heart. One of Our Own is a unique insight into the mind and experiences of one of Churchill's Few', a natural leader and a good man.

Read more less

This hands-on guide explains no-nonsense techniques on how to develop a well-balanced and well-planned food plot and deer management program that will enhance your deer hunting success tenfold. Peter J. Fiduccia has successfully planted food plots for deer and other wildlife for more than thirty-five years. His know-how will help hunters and land managers attract bucks and does to food plots when hunters want to see deer most: during the daylight hours of deer season. Fiduccia’s sage advice is practical, easy-to-understand, and apply. This food plot authority divulges more than 201 wildlife plants and late-dropping fruit and nut trees to attract deer. Daniel E. Schmidt, the Editor-in-Chief/VP of Deer & Deer Hunting magazine, said, “Fiduccia’s insights will help you grow bigger bucks, healthier does, and better food plots.” With more than 500 full-color pictures—and 460 pages—this all-new definitive guide focuses on straight-forward methods to help hunters plant successful wildlife food plots year after year. Fiduccia, a.k.a. "The Deer Doctor," helps novice and seasoned food plot veterans take their wildlife food plot programs to the next level. He includes a wide array of conventional and non-traditional plantings for deer and includes all the information you need to grow consistently productive food plots. Included in this must-have planting volume are such topics as: Fruit Trees Are Food Plots Too! Small Plots – Big Dividends Nut Trees In a Nutshell Varieties of Late-Dropping Fruit Trees Brambles, Shrubs, and Vines for Food and Cover Advantages of Planting Mixed Seed Plots Specific Plantings for Wild Turkeys, Waterfowl, and Upland Birds Clover Varieties That Survive and Thrive Throughout the Winter The Under Rated and Under Used Millets The Extraordinary Chestnuts Growing Better Incredible Edible Brassicas Fail-Safe Small and Large Grain Plantings Top-Notch Grasses for Deer More Than 60 Retailers For Food Plot Seeds More Than 40 Sources for Food Plot Trees Helpful Listing of Food Plot Consulting Services This practical guide, with totally up-to-date information on planting food crops in a world of global warming and a changing climate, will help you take your planting skills and deer management knowledge to the next level for better deer hunting and a healthier herd.

Read more less

Two experts who are helping Hollywood's A-list babies get their zzz's share the no-fail, family-friendly method that has helped thousands of sleep-deprived moms and dads. Even Hollywood's biggest stars face the same dilemma as other parents do: How do I get my child to sleep? As parents in the know are finding, whether they're on the red carpet or the soccer field, the answer is the same: The Sleepeasy Solution. Psychotherapists and sleep specialists Jennifer and Jill, the dynamic girlfriends all of Hollywood calls on to solve Junior's sleep problems, have perfected their sleep technique that will get any child snoozing in no time--most often in fewer than three nights. The key to their method? It addresses the emotional needs of both the parent and child (yes, how to handle the crying )--a critical component of why most other sleep methods fail. In this much-needed, family-friendly guide, weary parents will learn to define their own individual sleep goals, those that work for their family's schedule and style. They'll create a customized sleep planner to ensure consistency with both parents as well as extended caregivers. (As an added bonus, they'll even improve the readers' relationships with their spouses with the marriage-saver section.) With comprehensive sections devoted to each stage of Baby's and Toddler's development, plus solutions to special circumstances like traveling, daylight saving's time, moving to a big kid bed and multiples, The Sleepeasy Solution is a dream come true This approach was truly amazing in helping our family to thrive. . . . We are eternally grateful --Ben Stiller and wife, Christine Taylor, actors With their gentleapproach, Sleepeasy gave us the tools we needed to solve our daughter's sleep problems. --Conan O'Brien, host of NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien Sleepeasy gave us all the tools we needed to get our baby sleeping through the night. Now when we say good night to our daughter, we know it really will be a good night. --Greg Kinnear, actor--- (c)2007. Jennifer Waldburger, LCSW, and Jill Spivak, LMSW. All rights reserved. Reprinted from The Sleepeasy Solution: The Exhausted Parent's Guide to Getting Your Child to Sleep from Birth to Age 5. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the written permission of the publisher. Publisher: Health Communications, Inc., 3201 SW 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442.

Read more less

In early September 1939, the 2nd Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment were one of the first complete infantry units of the BEF to land in France. The first months of World War Two were relatively quiet but after deploying to the Maginot Line sector during January 1940 they came into contact with those Germans manning the West Wall or Seigfried Line. A patrol led by Captain Peter Barclay entered German territory and was attacked. As a result, the first decorations of the war were awarded. Barclay received the Military Cross and Lance-Corporal Davis the Military Medal while the remaining members of the patrol were mentioned in despatches. Two days later, the battalion suffered a tragic first when Lieutenant Patrick Everitt was mortally wounded while leading a daylight patrol. Everitt was the first British officer to be killed in action in the Second World War. When the Germans launched their offensive on 10 May, the BEF advanced to the River Dyle in Belgium. Within days the Allied Armies had been forced onto the back foot by the speed and ferocity of the German breakthrough. The Norfolks withdrew to the River Escaut where the BEF was to make a stand. On 21 May, the Company Sergeant Major George Gristock courageously destroyed some German machine-gun posts and won a posthumous Victoria Cross. As the Allies withdrew towards the Channel, the Norfolks were ordered to defend a section of the Canal Line between Bthune and Le Cornet Malo. Already down to around half strength, the Norfolks held their sector from 24 to 27 May. By the time the order was issued for them to withdraw, it was too late, Battalion HQ at Duries Farm, Le Paradis was surrounded and they had no alternative but to surrender, although C Company held out until the following morning. After the surrender, ninety-nine men of the Battalion were marched to a paddock where they were machine-gunned in cold blood by their SS captors. Miraculously, two men survived and were instrumental in bringing the SS officer responsible, Fritz Knoechlien, to justice after the war. When the remnants of the battalion reassembled in England, its strength was just five officers and 134 other ranks. The remainder had either been killed or captured as POWs.

Read more less

In this updated, second edition of the authoritative, bestselling Mastering Canon EOS Flash Photography, photographer NK Guy brings the book fully up to date, with coverage of all the newest Canon gear that has hit the market since the first edition published in 2010. This includes coverage of the radio-enabled Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT and Canon Speedlite Transmitter ST-E3-RT, as well as the other Speedlites that have released since the first edition’s publication: Canon Speedlite 90EX, 270EX II, 320EX, and 600EX. Digital cameras and flash technology have truly revolutionized photography in the 21st century. Originally seen simply as a practical way to illuminate dark scenes with portable light, flash today is used for a host of creative and nuanced applications, including supplementing daylight, designing complex scenes lit by multiple light sources, and simply creating beautiful, controllable light for portraiture.With LCD screens on DSLRs, the ability to get instant feedback on lighting setups is a great help in advancing one’s lighting capabilities and encouraging experimentation. However, flash photography can still be a difficult artistic and technical challenge. It’s simple to get that harsh deer-in-the-headlights look from built-in automatic flash, but it is a far cry from beautiful light. Creating natural-looking images is not nearly as straightforward. Mastering the properties of light and the ability to manipulate, craft, and direct it is a lifelong endeavor. Those diving into Speedlights need some help. Manuals are terse and the terminology is confusing—this is where Mastering Canon EOS Flash Photography comes in. This is the complete book on the subject, guiding you through Canon’s Speedlite system, from off-camera portable flash to professional studio lighting. It covers the fundamentals of flash metering technology, discusses key lighting concepts, and documents a wide range of Canon and third-party equipment. Universal flash accessories, studio gear, and radio triggers are all thoroughly covered. The book is lavishly illustrated with diagrams that demonstrate important functions and lighting arrangements, and inspiring photos that show sophisticated flash techniques. Though tailored for users of Canon EOS cameras, owners of other camera systems will find much valuable information as well.Whether you’re just getting started with flash, or you’ve picked up the bug for off-camera lighting from such popular websites as Strobist.com, or you’re making the leap into advanced studio work, Mastering Canon EOS Flash Photography is your in-depth resource. Includes a foreword by David Hobby, noted photojournalist and founder of Strobist.com.

Read more less

Winner of the 2009 Asian American Literary Awards in Poetry and 2010 American Book Award The first team sport in human history was played with a ball made of stone, on courts that have been found from the Mayan ruins of Central America to Arizona. Thus, we find a soccer dad walking the sidelines of a scuff ed LA field, its goal lines swirling, nets strung loosely between daylight and the spirit world--Sesshu Foster's inimitably fierce and powerfully evocative mix of the fantastic and the mundane. World Ball Notebook is a hybrid genre mixed text, composed of extracts from travel notebooks, email poems, postcard jottings, letters and blog posts, a record of the written moment compiled, refracted, prismatic. Poet Sesshu Foster is the author of the highly acclaimed City Terrace Field Manual and Atomic Aztex, a novel. "What playing field are we on exactly? The game gets hotter more interesting and 'stranged' as Sesshu Foster expands the metaphor in this dizzying collection of 'high energy constructs'. A delicious mongrel mix of cross-cultural underbelly reveries, anecdotes, observations, snapshots, histories, politics. He is one of our wittiest, wide-awake, astute, 21st century raconteurs. 'Take me out to the ballgame...I don't care if I never come back...'" --Anne Waldman, The Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics "World Ball Notebook is Sesshu Foster's breakthrough book, in which he raises the trenchant deadpan observations of City Terrance Field Manual and the alternative-universe hijinks of Atomik Aztex to a new and even more potent level. (Beware, dear reader: the contents of this book are radioactive.) Always surprising and incisive, Foster now finds the marvelous in the ordinary, banal, and abject, and, in the words that dance and tremble, he conveys the sheer (and often terrifying) wonder that one is alive in a weird and terrible time. It is this wonder--this sense of seeing everyday life for the first time, and embracing every part of it without exception--that places Foster at the forefront of innovative and daring writing. This book is exhilarating, and I am grateful to the author for giving me a chance to see the world this way." --John Yau Sesshu Foster taught composition and literature in East LA for twenty years. He won the 2010 American Book Award for World Ball Notebook, the 2009 Asian American Literary Award for Poetry for World Ball Notebook, the 2005 Believer Book Award for Atomik Aztex, the 1990 American Book Award for Invocation LA: Urban Multicultural Poetry, and was a finalist for a PEN Center West Poetry Prize and for the Paterson Poetry Prize for City Terrace Field Manual.

Read more less

Some places make their own laws…When Ella Watson, a woman of wealth and status, is brutally stabbed to death in broad daylight it sends a shockwave through the Lake District community. Later that day, Keira Bradley meets the same fate. But whereas Ella’s murder is a tragedy, Keira’s death on the notorious Beacon Estate is just another statistic in a dangerous place.DI Kelly Porter has the unenviable job of running simultaneous investigations. Her efforts aren’t helped by a boss driven by protecting his reputation and a housing estate where fear rules and no one dare speak out. Kelly knows the answers can only be found by winning the trust of the residents at Beacon Estate. A task so hard it may be impossible.Kelly puts everything she has into finding justice for both victims. The only thing she hadn’t anticipated was a traitor in the ranks. When the evidence points to someone in her team, Kelly has to put feelings aside and work the case – no matter where it leads. By the time it is over, nothing in her world will ever be the same…A dark and gripping police procedural from million copy bestseller Rachel Lynch, for fans of Patricia Gibney and D. K. Hood.What readers are saying about Little Doubt 'Great characters, great story and a gripping finale. I just wish I could give it more than five stars' Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Another cracking book by Rachel Lynch... has quickly become one of my favourite crime series' NetGalley Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'I have never read any of the other books in this series but now I am going to have to go back and read them all as this was so good!' NetGalley Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'I just LOVE this series and this latest novel did not disappoint. Gritty, suspenseful and full of action with DI Kelly Porter at the top of her game... A well deserved 5 stars, cant wait for the next instalment!' NetGalley Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'This book is just as brilliant as the first six and had me captivated from the first page... Yet another superb book by Rachel Lynch in the Kelly Porter series. I can’t wait to read the eighth one!' NetGalley Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Another excellent novel by Rachel Lynch and I am so looking forward to the next one' Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Read more less

The Second World War had been won, but relationships between the Western allies and the Soviet Union were becoming increasingly strained, as the nuclear arms race made world peace precarious. It was vital that Britain knew the Soviets' intentions and military capabilities, both offensive and defensive. As a Military Attache in Sofia, and Commandant of an Intelligence Centre in the Balkans, it was SIS officer Colonel John Sanderson's job to find out. Sanderson handled agents who operated secretly behind the Iron Curtain at the height of the Cold War and organised hidden arms depots for stay-behind agents in case of a Red Army invasion. Based on Sanderson's letters and personal accounts of his time with MI4 and MI6, we learn how he was sent to observe sessions of the Paris UNO Security Council in 1948 and to recruit emigres for infiltration behind the Iron Curtain, into Communist Bulgaria. Fluent in French and Bulgarian, in 1949 Captain Sanderson was posted to Sofia as a Press Attache with diplomatic immunity, reporting on the Communist show trials. Colonel Sanderson returned there twelve years later as the Military, Naval and Air Attache. In 1961, having been tasked by London with photographing the latest MIG fighter, he was driven at night to Sofia airport's perimeter by a CIA colleague. Closely followed by the Bulgarian secret police, he parachute-rolled, unobserved, out of the car with his camera. Arrested at daylight, he escaped to the border and drove across Europe, still pursued by the ruthless Bulgarian Security Services. John Sanderson's early service life was equally challenging, from helping defend Britain's coastline in 1940, picking up shot-down pilots around Dover on a motorbike during the Battle of Britain, to fighting the Japanese in the Burmese and Indian jungles, before returning to London to join the Secret Intelligence Services. In parallel with Sanderson's SIS career, living with Russian emigres in Paris, posted to SIS headquarters in the Berlin Olympic stadium, and later working together in the Intelligence Division of NATO headquarters Paris during the Cuban Missile Crisis, was his SIS friend RAF Squadron Leader John Aldwinckle, a veteran of SOE wartime operations in Halifax bombers. All Aldwinckle's agents were betrayed by the traitor George Blake, as were all Sanderson's by Kim Philby. In John Sanderson's biography we get the detailed inside story of the Berlin Air Lift, the Suez Invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the fall of the Berlin Wall. We see the results of Philby and Blake's treachery and the effects which the courageous actions of the two 'Olegs', the Russian Colonels Penkovsky and Gordievsky, had on the international politics of Khrushchev, Kennedy, Gorbachev, Thatcher and Reagan - and the consequences their decisions had for the course of world history. For over thirty years, John Sanderson worked for the British Secret Services - with his last mission, aged 74, as exciting as his first, being helicoptered into Sarajevo with an SAS team at the height of the Balkan War.

Read more less

Jack's Journey is the moving and extraordinary story of an unknown ANZAC action at Gallipoli during the period of the Landing on 1 and 2 May, 1915. Kit Cullen began tracing Jack Collyer's story using his three diaries and his service record. The diaries cover the voyage from Australia to training in Egypt and Lemnos and, finally, landing at Anzac. Unfortunately, the last diary ended as Jack entered the firing line on Bolton's Ridge at dusk on 25 April. He was wounded a week later. Where was Jack and what was he doing when he was wounded? What Kit discovered over ten years of painstaking research is extraordinary. On 1 May Jack and about fifty other members of No. 15 Platoon 4th Battalion were ordered to go to the aid of about 60 Royal Marines who had been trapped for two and a half days in an isolated trench. The Marines were running out of ammunition and water and needed support. Before dawn Jack and his mates entered the valley, which they christened Death Trap Valley, before dawn and positioned themselves in Loutit's Post overlooking the Marines for most of the day under heavy enemy fire. The 4th Battalion's rescue mission was undertaken at the height of the third Turkish counter attack. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon the ANZACs were ordered to resupply the Marines with ammunition and water and to reinforce their line. To do so meant running the gauntlet of the death trap - an exposed fifty metre long track, marked by the Turks as a killing ground. As the platoon braved the death trap, one by one, most of them were killed or wounded, including Jack. Snowy Robson carried ammunition and water to the beleaguered garrison without being hit. An hour later he also guided and took charge of No.3 Platoon 4th Battalion which was ordered into the valley to reinforce the isolated trench. In all, Snowy diced the death trap six times - five in daylight - without being hit. The position and the Marines were saved. Five Allied gallantry medals were awarded for the action, including the first Victoria Cross at Anzac. Walter Parker, a Royal Marine stretcher bearer, was the recipient. Snowy Robson was awarded a Distinguished Conduct Medal for his feats. The other extraordinary aspect of the 4th Battalion's participation in the action was the corruption of the historical record by Charles Bean. Bean omitted any reference to the 4th Battalion in his telling of the story in the Official History, despite knowing what happened. Instead, he gave the credit for saving the Marines to his brother's unit, the 3rd Battalion, which played a part on 2 May in relieving the Marines and the remnants of the two 4th Battalion parties. Bean misused a letter from the Royal Marine hierarchy specifically praising the 4th Battalion's sacrifice and courage, claiming its sentiments for the 3rd Battalion. The tragic heroism of Jack and his mates, and Bean's historiographical skulduggery would have remained hidden if Kit Cullen hadn't stumbled on them in the course of his research.

Read more less

In the history of Nazi concentration camps, and particularly labour camps, there is probably no place that bears the same stigma of wretchedness as 'Dora-Mittelbau' at Nordhausen. Located in the Harz mountains in central Germany, next to a quarry tunnel system in the Kohnstein mountain, it served to house thousands of slave workers for an underground factory known as the Mittelwerk, which produced three of Germany's best-known secret weapons: the V1 flying bomb, the V2 rocket and jet engines for the Me 262 and Ar 234 fighters. With over 20 kilometres of underground galleries, it was the largest underground factory in the world. Many of the inmates died in indescribable misery, being forced to extend the tunnels with meagre equipment and under ghastly conditions, sometimes not seeing daylight for weeks on end. Started in August 1943, Dora-Mittelbau in due course became the centre of a whole complex of underground factories in the Nordhausen area, with several subsidiary camps being set up. In all, of some 60,000 prisoners sent there between 1943 and 1945, 20,000 were driven to extinction to implement Nazi Germany's secret weapons programme, but they laboured late and in vain, for the products they yielded had little impact on the war. The V1 and V2 are the only weapons which cost more lives in production than in deployment: far more people died producing them than were killed from their impact in London, Antwerp and elsewhere. The history of Nordhausen, already gruesome in itself, ended in a crescendo of violence when, in the final weeks of the war, the surviving inmates were evacuated from the camps in death marches . One group of over a thousand men then became victim of one of the most horrendous of all Nazi atrocities. On April 13, 1945, just outside the town of Gardelegen, their SS camp guards, helped by local troops and Hitlerjugend, locked the prisoners in a big barn and set fire to the inside, burning those inside, killing them with hand-grenades, and shooting anyone who tried to escape from the burning, smoke-filled building. A total of 1,016 men died as a result. When discovered by American troops two days later, Gardelegen quickly became known as the site of one most notorious war crimes committed by the Nazis. In this book, Karel Margry recounts the history of Nordhausen concentration camp and of the Gardelegen massacre in full detail. Both stories are illustrated with unique Then and Now comparison photographs. The book contains the following two stories from ATB magazine: Issue 101: Nordhausen Author: Karel Margry. 18,165 words, 118 black and white photos. Issue 111: The Gardelegen Massacre Author: Karel Margry. Text: 16,189 words, 78 black and white photos. Note: After the Battle s account of Nordhausen, when first published in 1998, was considered so accurate and comprehensive that the Nordhausen Camp Memorial asked whether they could translate it into German and use it as one of their brochures. Thus a special German edition of issue 101 appeared under the title Damals und Heute, which has been reprinted several times.

Read more less

'A lively, well-written, entertaining whodunit' THE TIMESLose yourself in the sumptuous first novel in a new series of Golden Age mysteries set amid the lives of the glamorous Mitford sisters.It's 1919, and Louisa Cannon dreams of escaping her life of poverty in London, and most of all her oppressive and dangerous uncle.Louisa's salvation is a position within the Mitford household at Asthall Manor, in the Oxfordshire countryside. There she will become nurserymaid, chaperone and confidante to the Mitford sisters, especially sixteen-year-old Nancy - an acerbic, bright young woman in love with stories.But when a nurse - Florence Nightingale Shore, goddaughter of her famous namesake - is killed on a train in broad daylight, Nancy and amateur sleuth Louisa find that in postwar England, everyone has something to hide . . . Written by Jessica Fellowes, author of the number one-bestselling Downton Abbey books, The Mitford Murders is the perfect new obsession for fans of Daisy Goodwin, Anthony Horowitz and Agatha Christie - and is based on a real unsolved crime.'An extraordinary meld of fact and fiction' GRAHAM NORTON'True and glorious indulgence. A dazzling example of a Golden Age mystery'DAISY GOODWIN'Exactly the sort of book you might enjoy with the fire blazing, the snow falling. The solution is neat and the writing always enjoyable'ANTHONY HOROWITZ'Oh how delicious! This terrific start to what promises to be a must-read series is exactly what we all need in these gloomy times. Inventive, glittering, clever, ingenious. I devoured The Mitford Murders... so will you. Give it to absolutely everyone for Christmas, then pre-order the next one'SUSAN HILL'All the blissful escapism of a Sunday-night period drama in a book'THE POOL'Keeps the reader guessing to the very end. An accomplished crime debut and huge fun to read'EVENING STANDARD'This story is drenched in detail and feels both authentic and fun. Curl up in your favourite reading spot and enjoy'HEAT'The plan is that each book will focus on a different Mitford sister. On the strength of this initial entry, success is assured'FINANCIAL TIMES'Elegant, whipsmart and brilliantly twisty-turny, this Downton-style mystery had me hooked from the first page'VIV GROSKOP'Full of period pleasure'WOMAN & HOME'An audacious and glorious foray into the Golden Age of mystery fiction. Breathtaking'ALEX GRAY'A real murder, a real family and a brand new crime fiction heroine are woven together to make a fascinating, and highly enjoyable, read. I loved it'JULIAN FELLOWES'Jessica Fellowes' deliciously immersive, effortlessly easy novel has a strong feel for period and a rollicking plot'METRO'What a captivating crime novel and heroine Jessica has created in The Mitford Murders. The instant reassurance of being in the hands of a true storyteller with a feel for period detail makes this a real treat'AMANDA CRAIG'This is a chocolate soufflé of a novel: as the enthralling mystery heats up, so the addictive deliciousness of the story rises. The sort of book you never want to end'JULIET NICOLSON

Read more less

SHORTLISTED FOR THE PEN HESSELL-TILTMAN PRIZE*****'There have been many books written about the events of Bloody Sunday, however, none has wrenched the reader as violently back to those CS gas-choked streets, dumping them right in the heart of the screaming, running, shooting and crying, as Julieann Campbell's On Bloody Sunday. A powerful chronicle of one of the darkest episodes of modern times.' - Sunday Times'Powerful and moving ... The strength of this important new book lies in the artistry the author brings to the tasks of portraying both the community upon which the massacre was perpetrated, and the individuals within it.' - Irish Times'Meticulous.... On Bloody Sunday possesses a veracity and cumulative power that sets it apart from previous accounts' - Observer'A momentous chronicle, timely and vital, which highlights that the burden of change rests, as always, upon the shoulders of those who suffered and yet, have nurtured the desire that lessons be learned.' - Michael Mansfield QC, who represented a number of families during the Bloody Sunday Inquiry.'It is a vital record of the time, the city, and its people, and more impressive still it does so almost entirely in their own words, their heartbreak, their anger, their resilience, their humour. Julieann Campbell has given their voices, so long silenced, the dignity they deserve. It is a staggering achievement.' - Séamas O'Reilly'It's a wonderful book. The technique used - multiple voices speaking directly to us - is very simple but it has a profound effect. It puts us into the middle of the chaos of Bloody Sunday and keeps us there throughout the grief and anger that follow. A wonderful, wonderful book.' - Jimmy McGovern, BAFTA winning screenwriter, creator of 'Sunday' (2002)In January 1972, a peaceful civil rights march in Northern Ireland ended in bloodshed. Troops from Britain's 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment opened fire on marchers, leaving 13 dead and 15 wounded. Seven of those killed were teenage boys. The day became known as 'Bloody Sunday'.The events occurred in broad daylight and in the full glare of the press. Within hours, the British military informed the world that they had won an 'IRA gun battle'. This became the official narrative for decades until a family-led campaign instigated one of the most complex inquiries in history. In 2010, the victims of Bloody Sunday were fully exonerated when Lord Saville found that the majority of the victims were either shot in the back as they ran away or were helping someone in need. The report made headlines all over the world. While many buried the trauma of that day, historian and campaigner Juliann Campbell - whose teenage uncle was the first to be killed that day - felt the need to keep recording these interviews, and collecting rare and unpublished accounts, aware of just how precious they were. Fifty years on, in this book, survivors, relatives, eyewitnesses and politicians, shine a light on the events of Bloody Sunday, together, for the first time.As they tell their stories, the tension, confusion and anger build with an awful power. ON BLOODY SUNDAY unfolds before us an extraordinary human drama, as we experience one of the darkest moments in modern history - and witness the true human cost of conflict.

Read more less

A sequel to Atlas of Extinct Animals and Atlas of Endangered Animals, this large-format encyclopedia focuses on the world’s largest group of animals—insects. Insects are the most diverse and abundant creatures on Earth, yet we often overlook their critical role in our ecosystem. Insectopia, the third book in the Large Encyclopedias series, invites young readers to explore the fascinating world of insects with expert entomologist Jiří Kolibac and the stunning illustrations of Pavel Dvorsky and his wife Pavla Dvorsky. With 96 pages of engaging content and lifelike full-page illustrations, Insectopia provides an immersive journey into the realm of these tiny creatures, whose behavior, shapes, and colors surprise us with their complexity. Kids will learn about the full range of topics related to insects, including complex rituals of courtship, tender care for offspring, organization of insect states, wars over food sources, and various insect features (scents, colorful wings, sharp mandibles, etc.). Sections include: Anatomy and Body Structure of Insects: How insects have a segmented body with a hard exoskeleton. Orders of Insects: The best-known groups of winged insects and their common and scientific names. Biology and Development of Insects: How insects undergo various metamorphoses. Evolution of Insects: The evolutionary relationships of insects. Evolutionary Tree of Insects: A tree graph showing the evolutionary relationships among different insect groups. Dawn of the Insects: The evolution and diversification of insects during various periods, including the emergence of flight and the extinction of certain insect orders. Diversification of Insects: The development of insect life through different geological periods, including their coevolution with plants and their rise to dominance. Courtship and Nuptial Gifts: How male insects often present a nuptial gift to the female, who chooses the suitor with the largest or most alluring gift. Adapting to Island Life: How isolated islands are home to unique plants and animals, some of which undergo insular gigantism, and are threatened by introduced predators. Fighting for the Female: Insects often engage in contests to produce offspring with a female, with the best-performing male often winning. Flying Acrobats: Dragonflies are ancient predators with exceptional flying abilities. The Short Life of the Mayfly: Mayflies have a brief lifespan of just a few hours to a few days, during which they mate, lay eggs, and die. Insect States: Termites live in large colonies with specialized castes, with worker termites providing food and defense and soldier termites fighting spraying predators. Slave-Makers, Slaves, and Warriors: Ants engage in aggressive behavior and interspecies wars. Courtship in the Hills: Insects gather on the tops of hills to find a mate, with males competing for the most visible spots, and this also attracts insectivorous birds and predators. Life in Darkness: Caves are home to uniquely adapted insects that are fairly different than those that live in the daylight. Farmer Ants: How large ant colonies are complex “state” organizations comprised of workers, soldiers, a queen and her entourage, nurses, foragers, and other occupations. Coexistence: How anthills are places where ants and other insects form complex relationships of mutual benefit or parasitism. In addition to exploring this complex world of insects, young readers will also discover the importance of insects to humankind and all life on our planet. They will learn about how insects are found everywhere, from arid deserts to freshwater pools, and how they play a crucial role in pollination, decomposition, and pest control. Written for children aged 12–15 who are nature lovers, biology enthusiasts, or just curious about the world around us, Insectopia is an essential addition to any young reader’s library. This informative and beautifully illustrated encyclopedia highlights the importance of insects and their contribution to our world. Whether used as a reference for school or as a fun read at home, Insectopia is a must-have resource for any young nature lover.

Read more less