|
|
Books > Social sciences > Warfare & defence
The mutilated body of a diver is found in the Yucatan peninsula,
far from the coast. In Europe a deadly illness is sweeping through
the continent. When cave diving expert Mike Summers returns to
Mexico and crosses paths with maverick government agent Raphael
Rodriguez, he soon finds himself plunged into a world of intrigue
and terror. Rodriguez has been sent to monitor drug movements along
the Yucatan coastline, Mike is trying to unravel the mystery of his
friend's death, but both find their investigations linked to the
area's ancient subterranean cave systems and to events which shook
the local Maya civilisation some 500 years previously. "Steve
Turley's second adventure thriller is another polished page-turner,
written by an expert in the undersea world of sub-aqua, and an
adventurer in his own right. A classy and enjoyable read."
'From School to Landing Craft' describes the period 1939 to 1947
for one man, age 17 at the outbreak of war, from two perspectives.
First, there is a factual account of his time in the Royal Navy
Volunteer Reserve (RNVR). Secondly, there is an account based on
extracts of letters between him, his family and friends. These
letters illuminate his transition from a comfortable middle class
upbringing in the London suburbs and at boarding school to the
deprivations and uncertainties of war. They provide a first hand
account, sometimes filtered by the naval censor, of family and
friends dealing with life-threatening circumstances. The
expectations and fears of anxious parents stand juxtaposed with
mundane 'everyday life' at home and in contrast to the resilient
adaptability of youth.
Michael Hafferty's memoirs of his National Service days in the RAF
will strike a chord with any ex-serviceman (or woman ). He
describes his RAF career from "Square Bashing" - Trade Training -
Posting to Singapore and final "de-mob" in a light-hearted, at
times laugh-out-loud style, which makes for easy reading. The
characters he meets along his way will be recognised by anyone who
served in the forces and evoke memories of the mid-50's and events
now passed into history. His tales of hard-up conscripts, sent out
to Singapore to serve their country make interesting reading for
those curious as to what their fathers - or even grandfathers - got
up to in their youth The descriptions of working with the
Sunderland Flying Boats at RAF Seletar, both now sadly extinct,
will prove fascinating to aircraft buffs and landlubbers alike. As
a reminder of days gone by to "fellow sufferers," or as an insight
to those born too late to experience the joys of National Service,
it makes for a most enjoyable read. About the Author Michael was
one of the last of many thousands of conscripts to go through the
mill of National Service. Following his "de-mob" he joined the
Police Force in which he served for 30 years.
It was the first war we could not win. At no other time since World War II have two superpowers met in battle. Now Max Hastings, preeminent military historian takes us back to the bloody bitter struggle to restore South Korean independence after the Communist invasion of June 1950. Using personal accounts from interviews with more than 200 vets -- including the Chinese -- Hastings follows real officers and soldiers through the battles. He brilliantly captures the Cold War crisis at home -- the strategies and politics of Truman, Acheson, Marshall, MacArthur, Ridgway, and Bradley -- and shows what we should have learned in the war that was the prelude to Vietnam.
An exciting and thoroughly well-written adventure from Steve
Turley.. When a U-boat is sunk off the coast of Corsica in 1943, it
takes with it a mysterious cargo which was being secretly
transported under SS guard. Mike Summers, a technical diving
expert, has his life thrown into chaos when he accidentally
discovers wreckage from the U-boat and crosses swords with a
notorious Corsican nationalist leader, resulting in the death of
his friend. The race to discover the motive for the killing takes a
deadly turn when Monica, a beautiful Swiss marine archaeologist, is
kidnapped by the gang. Mike knows they are both likely to die
unless he can use his superior knowledge of deep wreck diving to
save them both and bring the perpetrators to justice. Another
quality read from CheckPoint Press..
In August 1941 Winston Churchill (1874-1965) and President
Roosevelt (1882-1945) met secretly on HMS Prince of Wales, moored
just off the coast of Newfoundland. H. V. Morton and Howard Spring
(author of Fame is the Spur) were invited to accompany the Prime
Minister and his entourage, a trip, which was not without its
hazards. Only a handful of people knew Churchill had left Britain
and in America the press merely reported that Roosevelt was
enjoying a few days' away from Washington, fishing. The Prince of
Wales set off from Scrabster on 4th August 1941 and reached her
destination at Newfoundland on 9th August 1941. A routine was
quickly established on board and the crew soon became used to the
Prime Minister's timetable and requirements, especially his regular
film nights. Together with the Prime Minister's bodyguard,
Thompson, a number of key personnel accompanied Churchill on this
mission, including Lord Beaverbrook who joined the ship by flying
to Newfoundland's Placentia Bay. The Atlantic Treaty, whilst not
achieving all that Churchill had hoped for, was a key document in
the development of the war and post-war strategy.Churchill had
hoped that at the resolution of the meeting America would join the
war during the summer of 1941 but this was not to be. America did
finally join the war in December 1941 following the Japanese attack
on the US base at Pearl Harbour. H. V. Morton's account was not
released for publication until 1943 and subsequently numerous
documents have been made available at the National Archives.
Atlantic Meeting is a unique account of the events leading up to
Churchill's discussions with Roosevelt and a fascinating account of
the practicalities - and occasionally humour - involved in such a
perilous journey.
|
|