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Escaping Hitler : heroic true stories of great escapes in Nazi Europe / by Halls, Monty,author.;
Includes bibliographical references (pages 301-303).Some of the most extraordinary stories of courage and endurance in the Second World War concern the freedom trails, the dangerous escape routes out of Nazi Occupied Europe. Over 5,000 British, Commonwealth and American servicemen made the journey over the Pyrenees, the Slovenian mountains and the Italian alps. Many also died en route, killed by the perilous conditions or caught by the German army. Here, Monty Halls recreates the stories of some of the most charismatic figures of the Second World War, men like Major Gordon Lett who escaped a POW camp in Italy and fought behind enemy lines at the head of the International Brigade. He was joined by an SAS team who took on the German army in Operation Galia and then, exhausted and pursued by the enemy, made a perilous escape across the Apennine mountains in Italy. There's also Australian Ralph Churches who orchestrated the mass escape of 100 POWs from Slovenia - the largest successful Allied escape of the entire war. And Len Harley, a Londoner who owed his life to a young Italian girl called Rosina. Monty also describes the bravery of the local people who sheltered POWs and kept the escape routes open - often paying a terrible price. Andree de Jongh risked her life to smuggle men through occupied France, survived being sent to two concentration camps, and has been described by MI-9 as 'the greatest of our war-time agents'. Mixing new research, interviews with survivors and his own experience of walking the trails, Monty brings the past to life in this dramatic and gripping slice of military history.
Subjects: Halls, Monty; Escaped prisoners of war; Prisoner-of-war escapes; World War, 1939-1945; World War, 1939-1945;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The rebel empresses : Elisabeth of Austria and Eugénie of France, power and glamour in the struggle for Europe / by Goldstone, Nancy,1957-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."When they married Emperors Franz Joseph and Napoleon III, respectively, Elisabeth of Austria and Eugénie of France became two of the most famous women on the planet. Young and beautiful -- becoming cultural and fashion icons of their time -- they also played a pivotal role in ruling their realms during a tempestuous era characterized by unprecedented political and technological change. Fearless, adventurous, and independent, Elisabeth and Eugénie represented a new kind of empress -- one who rebelled against tradition and anticipated and embraced modern values. Yet both women endured hardship in their private and public lives. Elisabeth was plagued by a mother-in-law who snatched her infant children away and undermined her authority at court. Eugénie's husband was an infamous philanderer who could not match the military prowess of his namesake. Between them, Elisabeth and Eugénie were personally involved in every major international confrontation in their turbulent century, which witnessed thrilling technological advances as well as revolutions, assassinations, and wars. With her characteristic jump-off-the-page writing and in-depth research, Nancy Goldstone brings to life these two remarkable women, as Europe goes through the convulsions that led up to the international landscape we recognize today."--
Subjects: Biographies.; Elisabeth, Empress, consort of Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria, 1837-1898.; Eugénie, Empress, consort of Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, 1826-1920.; Empresses; Empresses;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Bitten : the secret history of lyme disease and biological weapons / by Newby, Kris,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."A riveting thriller reminiscent of The Hot Zone, this true story dives into the mystery surrounding one of the most controversial and misdiagnosed conditions of our time--Lyme disease--and of Willy Burgdorfer, the man who discovered the microbe behind it, revealing his secret role in developing bug-borne biological weapons, and raising terrifying questions about the genesis of the epidemic of tick-borne diseases affecting millions of Americans today. While on vacation on Martha's Vineyard, Kris Newby was bitten by an unseen tick. That one bite changed her life forever, pulling her into the abyss of a devastating illness that took ten doctors to diagnose and years to recover: Newby had become one of the 300,000 Americans who are afflicted with Lyme disease each year. As a science writer, she was driven to understand why this disease is so misunderstood, and its patients so mistreated. This quest led her to Willy Burgdorfer, the Lyme microbe's discoverer, who revealed that he had developed bug-borne bioweapons during the Cold War, and believed that the Lyme epidemic was started by a military experiment gone wrong. In a superb, meticulous work of narrative journalism, Bitten takes readers on a journey to investigate these claims, from biological weapons facilities to interviews with biosecurity experts and microbiologists doing cutting-edge research, all the while uncovering darker truths about Willy. It also leads her to uncomfortable questions about why Lyme can be so difficult to both diagnose and treat, and why the government is so reluctant to classify chronic Lyme as a disease. A gripping, infectious page-turner, Bitten will shed a terrifying new light on an epidemic that is exacting an incalculable toll on us, upending much of what we believe we know about it"--
Subjects: Lyme disease; Lyme disease; Lyme disease;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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A Refiner’s Fire A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery [electronic resource] : by Leon, Donna.aut; cloudLibrary;
In the thirty-third installment of Donna Leon’s magnificent series, Commissario Guido Brunetti confronts a present-day Venetian menace and the ghosts of a heroism that never was Around one AM on an early spring morning, two teenage gangs are arrested after clashing violently in one of Venice’s squares. Commissario Claudia Griffoni, on duty that night, perhaps ill-advisedly walks the last of the boys home because his father, Dario Monforte, failed to pick him up at the Questura. Coincidentally, Guido Brunetti is asked by a wealthy friend of Vice-Questore Patta to vet Monforte for a job, triggering Brunetti’s memory that twenty years earlier Monforte had been publicly celebrated as the hero of a devastating bombing of the Italian military compound in Iraq. Yet Monforte had never been awarded a medal either by the Carabinieri, his service branch, or by the Italian government. That seeming contradiction, and the brutal attack on one of Brunetti’s colleagues, Enzo Bocchese, by a possible gang member, concentrate Brunetti’s attentions. Surprisingly empowered by Patta, supported by Signorina Elettra’s extraordinary research abilities and by his wife, Paola’s, empathy, Brunetti, with Griffoni, gradually discovers the sordid hypocrisy surrounding Monforte’s past, culminating in a fiery meeting of two gangs and a final opportunity for redemption. A Refiner’s Fire is Donna Leon at her very best: an elegant, sophisticated storyteller whose indelible characters become richer with each book, and who constantly explores the ambiguity between moral and legal justice.
Subjects: Electronic books.; Hard-Boiled; Police Procedural; International Mystery & Crime;
© 2024., Grove Atlantic,
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Primal intelligence : you are smarter than you know. by Fletcher, Angus.;
"Tap into your hidden intelligence and transform your life The creative spark of Vincent van Gogh. The business acumen of Steve Jobs. The mental resilience of Maya Angelou. The transformative leadership of Abraham Lincoln. The communication knack of William Shakespeare. In 2021, researchers at Ohio State's Project Narrative, renowned for collaborations with NASA, Hollywood, and Silicon Valley, announced that they had discovered the neural power at the root of all this human genius. They named it Primal Intelligence. Intrigued, US Army Special Operations developed Primal Intelligence training for its most classified units. The training succeeded. The Operators saw the future faster. They healed quicker from trauma. In life-and-death situations, they chose wiser. The Army then ran trials on military nurses, pilots, engineers, and commanders -- and on civilian entrepreneurs, doctors, managers, salespeople, teachers, investors, and NFL players. Their leadership and innovation improved significantly. They coped better with change and uncertainty. They experienced less anxiety and anger. Finally, the Army authorized trials on college and K-12 students. The training produced substantial effects in students as young as eight. In 2023, the Army awarded Project Narrative a medal for "groundbreaking research." The revolutionary training that US Army Special Operations and Project Narrative created is now available for the first time in this book. The training is simple, not easy. It's not an optimization hack or a cheat code. It's a different way of using your brain. It offers a new neuroscientific approach to intuition, imagination, emotion, and common sense, helping you become more like van Gogh and Jobs, Lincoln and Angelou. It gives you the tools to unlock the ancient know-how you forgot you knew. Your human genius. Your Primal Intelligence"--Library Bound Incorporated
Subjects: BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Leadership; PSYCHOLOGY / Cognitive Psychology & Cognition; PSYCHOLOGY / Creative Ability; SELF-HELP / Personal Growth / General;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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Sikhs : the story of a people, their faith and culture / by Patnaik, Saanika,author.; Agarwalla, Nehal,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."At the turn of the 15th century, Guru Nanak embarked on a series of journeys across the Indian subcontinent and instituted an equitable community and an egalitarian religion, built upon the values of inclusion, service, and kindness. Sikhs throws a spotlight on this incredible faith that places service before self. Today, it is the fifth largest religion in the world with over 30 million Sikhs across the globe. The book explores the gurus, the scriptures, the philosophy, and stories and legends. It explains how a faith led to the birth of a historic empire of immense military and political might, maps the emergence of a distinct identity, looks at its impact on the world today, and celebrates the contributions of this illustrious community."--
Subjects: Illustrated works.; Religious minorities; Sikh art.; Sikhism; Sikhism; Sikhs; Sikhs; Sikhs; Sikhs.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The character edge : leading and winning with integrity / by Caslen, Robert L.,Jr.,1953-author.; Matthews, Michael D.,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."The former superintendent at West Point and a psychologist explain why all successful leaders rely on a foundation of strong character. Among the most successful leaders throughout history-from Abe Lincoln to Rosa Parks, Mahatma Gandhi to Susan B. Anthony, Martin Luther King, Jr. to Nelson Mandela-some were brilliant mathematicians and economists, others were creative visionaries, still others were masterful at strategic planning. Their mastery of their field wasn't the secret to their highly effective leadership. All of their skill, grit, resilience, charisma, and courage emanated from one thing: their strength of character. Character-the moral values and habits of an individual-is in the spotlight now more than perhaps at any other point in modern history. Politicians distort facts. Corporations cheat customers and investors. Athletes are caught using illegal supplements. In addition to harming our culture at large, these failures of character have a profound and undermining impact on leadership. The authors of this book are experts on the value of character, its correlation with successful leadership, and how to build it in individuals and prospective leaders. General Robert L. Caslen, Jr. served the US Army for over 43 years and served as Superintendent at the US Military Academy at West Point. Psychologist Dr. Michael D. Matthews is a Professor of Engineering Psychology at West Point who has focused on the psychology of character for years. Together they witnessed firsthand that raw talent is not enough to stand on its own; successful leadership relies on the critical foundation of a strong character. In The Character Edge they leverage their perspectives to offer an empowering, story-driven argument-backed by the latest scientific research-that character is vital to success. They give readers the tools to build and sustain character in themselves and their organizations by testing readers' strengths of the gut, head and heart and teaching how to build trust and nurture the seeds of character"--
Subjects: Character.; Executive ability.; Integrity.; Leadership.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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D-Day Girls The Spies Who Armed the Resistance, Sabotaged the Nazis, and Helped Win World War II [electronic resource] : by Rose, Sarah.aut; cloudLibrary;
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The dramatic, untold history of the heroic women recruited by Britain’s elite spy agency to help pave the way for Allied victory in World War II “Gripping. Spies, romance, Gestapo thugs, blown-up trains, courage, and treachery (lots of treachery)—and all of it true.”—Erik Larson, author of The Devil in the White City and Dead Wake In 1942, the Allies were losing, Germany seemed unstoppable, and every able man in England was on the front lines. To “set Europe ablaze,” in the words of Winston Churchill, the Special Operations Executive  (SOE), whose spies were trained in everything from demolition to sharpshooting, was forced to do something unprecedented: recruit women. Thirty-nine answered the call, leaving their lives and families to become saboteurs in France. In D-Day Girls, Sarah Rose draws on recently de­classified files, diaries, and oral histories to tell the thrilling story of three of these remarkable women. There’s Andrée Borrel, a scrappy and streetwise Parisian who blew up power lines with the Gestapo hot on her heels; Odette Sansom, an unhappily married suburban mother who saw the SOE as her ticket out of domestic life and into a meaningful adventure; and Lise de Baissac, a fiercely independent member of French colonial high society and the SOE’s unflap­pable “queen.” Together, they destroyed train lines, ambushed Nazis, plotted prison breaks, and gathered crucial intelligence—laying the groundwork for the D-Day invasion that proved to be the turning point in the war. Rigorously researched and written with razor-sharp wit, D-Day Girls is an inspiring story for our own moment of resistance: a reminder of what courage—and the energy of politically animated women—can accomplish when the stakes seem incalculably high. Praise for D-Day Girls “Rigorously researched . . . [a] thriller in the form of a non-fiction book.”—Refinery29 “Equal parts espionage-romance thriller and historical narrative, D-Day Girls traces the lives and secret activities of the 39 women who answered the call to infiltrate France. . . . While chronicling the James Bond-worthy missions and love affairs of these women, Rose vividly captures the broken landscape of war.”—The Washington Post “Gripping history . . . thoroughly researched and written as smoothly as a good thriller, this is a mesmerizing story of creativity, perseverance, and astonishing heroism.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Subjects: Electronic books.; Women; World War II; Intelligence & Espionage;
© 2019., Crown,
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Book and Dagger How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of World War II [electronic resource] : by Graham, Elyse.aut; cloudLibrary;
The untold story of the academics who became OSS spies, invented modern spycraft, and helped turn the tide of the war At the start of WWII, the U.S. found itself in desperate need of an intelligence agency. The Office of Strategic Services (OSS), a precursor to today’s CIA, was quickly formed—and, in an effort to fill its ranks with experts, the OSS turned to academia for recruits. Suddenly, literature professors, librarians, and historians were training to perform undercover operations and investigative work—and these surprising spies would go on to profoundly shape both the course of the war and our cultural institutions with their efforts. In Book and Dagger, Elyse Graham draws on personal histories, letters, and declassified OSS files to tell the story of a small but connected group of humanities scholars turned spies. Among them are Joseph Curtiss, a literature professor who hunted down German spies and turned them into double agents; Sherman Kent, a smart-mouthed history professor who rose to become the head of analysis for all of Europe and Africa; and Adele Kibre, an archivist who was sent to Stockholm to secretly acquire documents for the OSS. These unforgettable characters would ultimately help lay the foundations of modern intelligence and transform American higher education when they returned after the war. Thrillingly paced and rigorously researched, Book and Dagger is an inspiring and gripping true story about a group of academics who helped beat the Nazis—a tale that reveals the indelible power of the humanities to change the world.
Subjects: Electronic books.; 20th Century; Historical; World War II; Intelligence & Espionage; Germany;
© 2024., HarperCollins,
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Sicily '43 : the first assault on fortress Europe / by Holland, James,1970-author.;
Includes bibliographical references (pages 555-571) and index."On July 10, 1943, the largest amphibious invasion ever mounted took place, larger even than the Normandy invasion eleven months later: 160,000 American, British, and Canadian troops came ashore or were parachuted onto Sicily, signaling the start of the campaign to defeat Nazi Germany on European soil. Operation HUSKY, as it was known, was enormously complex, involving dramatic battles on land, in the air, and at sea. Yet, despite its drama and its paramount importance to ultimate Allied victory, very little has been written about the 38-day battle for Sicily. Based on much new research, Sicily '43 offers vital new perspective on a major turning point in World War II. The characters involved-General George Patton and Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery among many-were as colorful as the battles across the scorching plains and above the peaks of Sicily were brutal. Among Holland's great skills is incorporating the experience of on-the-ground participants on all sides--from American colonel Jim Gavin, British major Hedley Verity, and Canadian lieutenant Farley Mowat to brigade commander Wilhelm Schmalz, Luftwaffe fighter pilot Johannes "Macky" Steinhoff, and Italian combatants, civilians, and mafiosi alike--giving readers an intimate sense of what occurred in July and August 1943. Emphasizing the significance of Allied air superiority, Holland overturns conventional narratives that have criticized the Sicily campaign for the slowness of the Allied advance and that so many German and Italian soldiers escaped to the mainland; rather, he shows that clearing the island in 38 days against geographical challenges and fierce resistance was an impressive achievement. A powerful and dramatic account by a master military historian, Sicily '43 fills a major gap in the narrative history of World War II"--
Subjects: World War, 1939-1945; Operation Husky, 1943.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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