Book picks similar to
Conflict, Communism and Fascism by Frank McDonough
history
europe
european-history
historical
A Ranch Full of Love
Aurora Hanson - 2021
When her best friend, Opal, returns to her hometown, she seizes this unique opportunity to join her, although she doesn’t know what to expect. While trying to adjust to her new reality in Oklahoma, she gets tangled up in her feelings for Opal’s handsome older brother, who seems rather distant and arrogant. Can Delphine break down his walls and find the stability and love she has been looking for all her life in his arms?Liam Jackson’s future seems impossible to handle ever since his business partner’s deception. When he discovers that his estranged father has passed and left him the family ranch, he accepts it with a heavy heart, desperate to save his business. Upon his arrival, a disheartening surprise awaits him, making him question his decision. Nevertheless, his unexpected interaction with a beautiful and tender woman helps him overcome the pain in his heart, giving him a reason to stay. Will he manage to let go of the past to build a future with the woman who sees beyond his mask?Both Delphine and Liam are unprepared and heartbroken when they start feeling strong, new emotions for one another. Together, they must choose what truly matters in their lives. Can Delphine be the blessing that Liam is searching for, and Liam be the knight in shining armor that she needs? With friends and rivals on their heels, can they find the everlasting love they have craved for, for so long?
St Vith: Lion in the Way: 106th Infantry Division in World War II
R. Ernest Dupuy - 1986
Army, the last to be deployed before the end of World War Two.
Arriving in Europe in late 1944, they were immediately, and with very little battle experience, thrust into battle at St Vith. The Battle of St. Vith was part of the Battle of the Bulge, which began on December 16, 1944, and represented the right flank in the advance of the German 5th Panzer Army, toward the ultimate objective of Antwerp. The inexperienced American troops were faced with adverse weather conditions, difficult terrain and a desperate German opponent fighting for their lives and the quickly-disappearing hope of victory. The defense of St Vith is recognized as one the most important Allied victories of this period, driving the Germans away from their goal of Antwerp and halting the last great German offensive of the war. Compiled from records and first-hand accounts from the officers and soldiers of the 106th Division, Colonel Dupuy’s account of the final days of 1944 is a must-read for WW2 enthusiasts and fans of regimental histories. Colonel R. Ernest Dupuy (1887- 1976) was a soldier, newspaperman and military historian. He worked as a journalist in New York before enlisting in the army. Serving in both wars, he retired in 1947. Continuing his writing career, he specialized in writing military history, and authored or co-authored many books on the U.S. Army, West Point, and military affairs. St Vith: Lion in the Way was first published in 1949.
The Life of a Simple Man
Emile Guillaumin - 1943
A peasant himself, Guillaumin was unique in that, after a few years of schooling, he continued to work his small farm in central France to the end of his life, reserving nights for study and writing. Guillaumin felt that the French peasant had been misrepresented in contemporary literature--either romanticized as in George Sand or depicted as a dumb victim of the forces of nature as in Zola--and wanted to correct the picture. The result is a moving first-person story that can be read as a fictional account, as well as the best kind of material for historians seeking to understand how nineteenth-century French peasants really lived.
A Bride to Soothe the Wounded Rancher
Lorelei Brogan - 2019
But when the false accusations of a man in town make her drunk father demand that she gets married, she will have to find an immediate solution. With nowhere to turn, she flees to the West as a mail-order bride for a mysterious stranger. And as more pieces from her husband’s past and present turmoil come to light, Fern is not sure if what she feels deep inside is fear or love. Will she eventually be brave enough to see the man who is hidden behind the deformed face? Charley’s life during the last years has been quite solitary. His scars have disfigured not only his face but his soul too and the ghosts from his past don’t let him move on. Only until a beautiful woman appears in his life aiming to become his mail-order bride, there forms a ray of hope in his darkness. But will he let her touch his heart and heal his wounds? Or will he repel her too, afraid that there is no one in this world who could have true feelings for him? Just when Fern and Charley succeed in putting together pieces that were broken for years, will their past leave them alone for long enough to enjoy it? Or is the situation about to get unstable once again, bringing about consequences they couldn’t even imagine?
Shadowplay: Behind the Lines and Under Fire: The Inside Story of Europe's Last War
Tim Marshall - 2003
It came to its bloody conclusion in Kosovo in 1999.Tim Marshall, then diplomatic editor at Sky News, was on the ground covering the Kosovo War. This is his illuminating account of how events unfolded, a thrilling journalistic memoir drawing on personal experience, eyewitness accounts, and interviews with intelligence officials from five countries. Twenty years on from the war’s end, with the rise of Russian power, a weakened NATO and stalled EU expansion, this story is more relevant than ever, as questions remain about the possibility of conflict on European soil. Utterly gripping, this is Tim Marshall at his very best: behind the lines, under fire and full of the insight that has made him one of Britain’s foremost writers on geopolitics.
Unfinished Symphony
Bernard Hellreich Ingram - 2012
This is not a book about survival in a concentration camp. It is a book about "ordinary" people, maybe like you & me, on the peripheries of the Holocaust. It is a book about an ordinary man who is a young Polish Jewish doctor & it tells of the discrimination he faced leading up to WWII. It tells how his comfortable Polish middle class life is shattered first by the 1939 Soviet invasion showing the real face of the Stalinist regime & then by the Nazis in 1941 who are bent on exterminating a people merely because of their religious background. What to do? I ask myself how I would have reacted & I asked my father how he had the courage to choose to walk the line of a Jew hiding as a Christian. How brave was he? "Not brave at all" was his reply, "I just did what I had to do". It is also the story of two brave Christians, the doctor's girlfriend & a friend of hers, & how they chose to risk their lives & those of their families to prevent the unjust murder of another human being whose only crime was his ethnic background. I ask myself could I now do the same if this situation arose. The book is priced as low as possible to encourage people to read about an amazing account of survival through the love & selflessness of others in a very dark time of man's recent history. Two of the central figures of this book, Marian Golebiowski & Irena Szumska-Ingram have been honored by Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum with the Righteous Among the Nations award. See the Yom Ha’atzmaut 2010 speech by Dor Shapira of the Israeli Embassy to the Sydney NSWJBD in relation to Irena Sumska's award: http://www.google.com.hk/url?sa=t&... It is a story of love, adventure & human values, the fugitive "Jew in a Christian skin", under constant threat of exposure, precariously maintaining his false identity in a tiny rural community. finally we see Hellreich the penniless refugee, still supported by his faithful Irena, rebuilding his shattered career in Australia - a chapter of heartbreaking difficulties & heartwarming satisfaction. "...as gripping and human a story as any told about this tragic period in the history of man's inhumanity to man. I couldn't put it down. That it is told without bitterness and rancour makes it all the more powerful ... simply yet eloquently written." - Barry Cohen (former Australian Minister for the Arts, Heritage and the Environment) "... incredible faith and courage ... one of the most amazing stories to emerge from the wreckage and despair of the Holocaust." - L E Freeman in The Newcastle Herald Publisher's Note: My father, the author, passed from this world of natural causes in 2008 after what he described as a very interesting life. My hope in publishing his story is to document what happened to one man during these dark times & let him tell his story to all of you & not let it die with him. My father did not speak of his war years until I was 8, after many requests. It took him a lot longer to agree to write his story for the public. He was a modest man & did not think his story on the Holocaust's edges would be of interest, as per his Preface. All the Holocaust books I have read are valuable not for their literary merit but for the story they tell of barbarism, heroism, selfless help by others while endangering their own lives, & the wonderful strength & purity of th
Palace of Tears
Anna King - 1998
If finding her mother Nellie in hospital after a savage beating from her husband wasn’t enough, Emily’s plight deepens when she yields to the advances of Tommy, a young soldier, and becomes pregnant with his child.Not for nothing is Victoria station nicknamed the ‘palace of tears’. As trainloads of men leave for the Western Front, and Emily says goodbye to Tommy, she is left contemplating the life of a single mother. Yet amidst the devastation, happiness still lies within her grasp…
A classic saga of World War One, Palace of Tears is a perfect read for fans of Carol Rivers, Sally Warboyes, and Annie Murray.
Danzig: A Novel of Political Intrigue
William N. Walker - 2016
Newly-edited corrected version. Danzig is a gripping historical novel in the grand tradition. It has generated rave reviews (90% 4 and 5 stars) for its authenticity and its realistic portrayal of high pressure diplomatic clashes between Hitler and Western nations in the 1930s. The story encompasses fast-paced events in Geneva, Berlin, Warsaw and London, as well as Danzig itself, capturing the drama of unfolding crisis that engulfed Europe on what we now know was the path to war. * "A smartly written, engrossing read. * “Channeling the best of Alan Furst, Danzig, is a must read for the any lover of well written historical fiction. * “Mr. Walker's descriptions made this reader feel as if she were in the middle of the historic drama. The novel builds in intensity until the dramatic ending. It's a terrific read.” * “Danzig is a must read for any lover of riveting historical fiction dealing with Hitler’s rise. Walker makes the saga of the city and the Polish Corridor come alive. The tensions of the time are vividly described in human terms, making for gripping reading.” * “Danzig is an amazing book, putting the reader in the middle of pre WW II in Europe. The time and scene were painted in detail and to perfection. The characters were presented in such a way I felt I knew them and worried for them throughout.” * “Superb historical fiction; good story, good atmospherics. Danzig is a sophisticated journey into European power politics during a time of high drama. I think it bears comparison to the best authors in the popular interwar historical fiction genre and I rate it a very successful effort.” * “The author does a great job of making the reader feel what it was like to be in the center of pre-WWII Europe, with Germany flouting the Treaty of Versailles, England following an ill-fated policy of appeasement and the League of Nations powerless and ineffective in dealing with Hitler and his aggression. For anyone interested in WWII history, especially the lead-up to the war and the dysfunction among the European Allies, this is a great read! The website www.authorwilliamwalker.com offers a link to Amazon Kindle as well as a synopsis, photos and more information.
1913: The Defiant Swan Song
Virginia Cowles - 1967
1913 It's the eve of the First World War. One era ends as another is set to begin. Before life is changed forever in the maelstrom of war, the excess and extravagance of European high society blazes its trail. Acclaimed historian Virginia Cowles paints a picture of the glamour and scandals within the upper echelon of society of seven major cities, through rich prose and lively anecdotes. Rumours thrived in the public eye - King George V's speculated alcoholism, the devotion of the Russian Empress to the charlatan Rasputin - Archduke Franz Ferdinand's quick temper and conspicuous affairs. It was not only nobles who caused scandals however; even the ballet was drawn into controversy. The fame of Isadora Duncan, with her self-taught dancing in bare feet and a Greek tunic, drew equal derision and adoration. 'A Defiant Swan Song' chronicles all the highs and lows of 1913 - from major cultural events such as the suffragette movement in London, to the folly and fame of ruling elite. Parties and affairs, fashion and intrigue, dancing and duelling abound. But life was was not all one endless party before the war. Cowles reveals the tensions and divisions behind the mask of European society. 1913 would be the beginning of the end. Recommended for fans of Simon Sebag Montefiore, Andrew Roberts and Antonia Fraser. Virginia Cowles, who was brought up in Boston, left America for Europe at an early age to become a well-known journalist and historian, and is the author of 'Winston Churchill: The Era and The Man', 'Edward VII and His Circle', and 'The Kaiser', amongst other books. She was married to Aidan Crawley, M.P., and had three children. Praise for Virgina Cowles ’One of the most delightful books I have read. Miss Cowles has given us a tour-de-force, well researched, comprehensive, frank … [it] abounds in amazing stories of extraordinary personalities’ Books and Bookmen ‘Splendidly readable’ The Sunday Times
Her Port in the Storm
Grace Clemens - 2020
Focused on her work as a schoolteacher assistant, it seems that nothing could disturb her peaceful existence. Little did she know that her world would be turned upside down the moment her mother starts receiving mysteriously threatening letters. Wasting no time, Loren turns to the charming sheriff, who will do whatever it takes to help her and the only person she has by her side. However, she has no time for romance, as she needs to find the evil mastermind behind her family's ruin. Will she manage to escape from a painful dilemma of choosing between love and devotion to the only person that was always there for her?Edison Haynes is a determined man who has devoted his life in serving justice after his brother's tragic passing. Upon completing his training under one of the best sheriffs in Tombstone, he moves to Bridgestone at the age of twenty-six to become the local sheriff. Soon, fate brings him in front of an unprotected woman who is desperately asking for help. When he realizes that his mission is not a child's play, it will require all of his skills to rescue the helpless lady. What he could never expect though, is that he would find himself hopelessly in love with her along the way. Will Edison manage to save the helpless woman that could be the missing piece to the puzzle of his lonely life?The clock is ticking for Edison and Loren, who have to quickly discover what lies behind the blackmailing letters that are haunting their dreams. Will they manage to solve the baffling mystery and find their other half against all odds?"Her Port in the Storm" is a historical romance novel of approximately 60,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
China and the Chinese
Herbert Allen Giles - 1902
You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.
History of the Early Settlement and Indian Wars of West Virginia
Wills De Hass - 1851
This area was dangerous and many who had ventured there alone had never returned.
But slowly over the course of this century settlers continued to push further west until regions such as West Virginia were populated with more and more adventurous young men and women. The settlement of these lands did not occur without difficulties and colonizers frequently came into conflict with the local Native American populations. Wills De Hass’s remarkable book History of the Early Settlement and Indian Wars of West Virginia is a fascinating history of how the lands of the west were first settled by white emigrants in the eighteenth century and how these settlers came into frequent strife with the Native American tribes who had previously lived there. Beginning with Columbus’ discovery of this great continent Wills De Hass charts the colonization of this expansive land. He records with brilliant detail the early encounters that Europeans had with the men and women that they found already living across the region and explains how various nations from across the Atlantic made their first tentative footholds on this newly discovered land. De Hass records how settlers were not only conflict with Native Americans but also with each other as this region descended into war, firstly during the French and Indian War and shortly afterwards during the American War of Independence. Particularly fascinating throughout the book are the biographical sketches of various well-known frontiersmen who were particularly influential in the Ohio Valley and northwestern Virginia. This book is perfect for anyone interested in the early settlement of western regions prior to 1795 and how this area was frequently in conflict as settlers attempted to assert their rights against the wishes of the Native American populations. Wills de Hass was a lecturer and writer on archaeological and historical subjects. His book History of the Early Settlement and Indian Wars of Western Virginia was first published in 1851 and De Hass passed away 1910.
Ferdinand and Isabella
Malveena McKendrick - 2015
But the historic landfall of October 1492 was only a secondary event of the year. The preceding January, they had accepted the surrender of Muslim Granada, ending centuries of Islamic rule in their peninsula. And later that year, they had ordered the expulsion or forced baptism of Spain's Jewish minority, a cruel crusade undertaken in an excess of zeal for their Catholic faith. Europe, in the century of Ferdinand and Isabella, was also awakening to the glories of a new age, the Renaissance, and the Spain of the "Catholic Kings" - as Ferdinand and Isabella came to be known - was not untouched by this brilliant revival of learning. Here, from the noted historian Malveena McKendrick, is their remarkable story.
The Empress of Tears (The Autobiography of Empress Alexandra Book 2)
Kathleen McKenna Hewtson - 2016
Having given birth to daughter after daughter after daughter, she becomes desperate and turns to the first of her mystical advisors, Msgr. Philippe, who persuades her, among other things, that she is invisible.And then comes the moment of her greatest triumph with the birth of her son and the heir to the throne of all the Russias, the Tsarevich Alexei.All four volumes are (planned) as follows:1. 'The Funeral Bride' 1884-1894 - published November 20152. 'The Empress of Tears' 1895-1904 - published March 20163. 'The Pride of Eagles' 1905-1914 - to be published by November 20164. 'No Greater Crown' 1914-1918 - to be published by April 2017
Ireland: A Short History
Joseph Coohill - 2005
Starting with the first prehistoric inhabitants of the island, the book takes us right up to the present day, covering the Great Famine, Home Rule, the Good Friday Agreement, and beyond. Clear and lucid, Coohill’s writing paints an engaging picture of a people for whom history is a key part of present-day reality. Reviewing differing historical interpretations, Coohill allows the reader to come to their own conclusions. Highly accessible, yet demonstrating a sophisticated level of analysis, this book will continue to provide a valuable resource to tourists, students and all those wishing to acquaint themselves further with the complex identity of the Irish people.