"Romanian Furrow", written in 1933, is an enchanting and evocative chronicle of a journey made by a young Englishman, Donald Hall, to Romania in search of a rural lifestyle that was rapidly disappearing in Western Europe. Hall set out not only to observe but to actively participate in peasant life and in this quest he brilliantly succeeded in touching the soul of Romanian country life. The friendships he made along the way are most moving. Hall's account of rural life in Romania - which has not markedly changed today - admirably meets the reading requirements of Green or Eco tourists, a market segment that Romania is investing much of its tourism budget to attract.

A vivid recount of the little known exploits of 17 courageous Special Operations Executive (SOE) officers in Italy during World War II In this inspiring new study of the SOE and Italian Resistance, 17 extraordinary stories of individual SOE officers illustrate the many and varied tasks of SOE missions throughout the different regions of Italy from 1943-1945. Through their gallantry, ingenuity, and determination, a small handful of SOE missions were able to arm and inspire thousands of Italians to fight the occupying German army after 1943 and in the process give invaluable support to the advancing Allied armies as they pushed north towards Austria.

Master of Deception is a biography of Peter Fleming, elder brother of Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond. Peter Fleming worked as a travel writer and journalist, serving with distinction throughout World War II and played a crucial role in British intelligence operations in the Far East. This biography ranges from the personal life of Fleming such as his marriage to Celia Johnson, a famous actor of the time, to his extensive military intelligence career which took him from Norway and Greece to the Far East. Framed through the life of Peter Fleming this book offers an in-depth study of British intelligence operations in the Far East during World War II.

The Discontented tells the heroic story of the Hungarian uprisings against the Habsburgs in 17th and 18th centuries. Led by the charismatic trio of Imre Thoekoely, Helena Zrinyi and Ferenc Rakoczi II, there were moments when the rebels nearly succeeded in securing the independence of Hungary from the Habsburg Emperors. However, against a background of international intrigue and superpower politics, the valiant actions of the kurucs were ultimately doomed and their leaders forced into exile in Turkey. Here is a tale of hubris, betrayal, love and reckless courage that remains inspirational centuries later.

For nearly a thousand years, the Saxon settlers from the Rhine valley played a vital role in the history of Transylvania until their diaspora in the second half of the twentieth century. Fortresses of Faith focuses on their magnificent architectural legacy - the fortress-churches or kirchenburgen of the Seibenburgen. After an introduction covering history, architecture, and decor, the author takes us on an enthralling photographic tour, helpfully arranged for travelers into the areas surrounding Sibiu, Mediaș, Sighișoara, and Brașov. Alan Ogden’s black and white photographs poignantly capture the moody images of these “stone war-horses of Christendom,” many of which are now without congregations and prey to the dilapidation of time. It is a superb photographic record with a broad appeal to overseas descendants of Transylvanian Saxons, tourists, and students of Romanian history. Alan Ogden, received enthusiastic support from historians in Germany and Romania, who shared his vision of sounding the alarm about the uncertain future of this forgotten heritage of Christian Europe. He is the author of Romania Revisited: On the Trail of English Travellers, 1602-1941, published by the Center for Romanian Studies.

Invention, passion, war and exile are but some of the elements in this revealing new insight into Paddy Leigh Fermor's many Romanian journeys. Starting with the `great trudge' on foot through Romania in 1934 and ending in 1990 with his assignment for The Daily Telegraph following the fall of Ceausescu, The Vagabond and The Princess by Alan Ogden unravels the tapestry of fact and fiction woven by Paddy and reveals in detail the touching story of the love affair between the youthful writer and Balasa Cantacuzino, a beautiful Romanian Princess. After a poignant parting on the eve of the Second World War, they were reunited some twenty-five years later and remained in close touch until her death. Paddy had been the great love of her life. Alan Ogden brings great insight into this enduring and touching relationship as well putting into context the glamorous lost world of pre-WW2 Romania.

"Two Vagabonds in Languedoc" - written in 1925 - is Jan and Cora Gordon's charming and evocative sketch of the French village of Najac. Return today to the very same village on the border of the Departments of Tarn and Aveyron and many of the landmarks mentioned are still there; nowadays life goes on much the same. In their day, the authors were something of a publishing phenomenon. "Two Vagabonds" captures all the charm of France and, perhaps, helps explain why it's one of the major tourist destinations in the world.

Grenadier Guards, An Account of Operations 1996-2015, covers Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. It provides a detailed narrative at Battle Group, Company, Operating and Mentoring Liaison Teams and specialist Platoon levels of the role played by the Grenadier Guards in these challenging security environments. Each theatre of operation is introduced by a detailed political analysis to underscore the complexities of the situations commanders at all levels found themselves in. Illustrated through with 55 photos, 43 detailed maps and 15 charts.

"A valuable, highly recommended contribution to the study of the perception of Romania by English outsiders down through the centuries, and at the same time does valued, much appreciated service for visitors to Romania today." - The Midwest Book Review Romania Revisited is the definitive story of the journeys made by English travellers to Romania between 1602 and 1941. The author, Alan Ogden, interweaves the impressions of previous generations into the witty account of his own journeys made in the summer and winter of 1998. Although the chapters are arranged to follow his own route, the author successfully integrates earlier writers into his narrative by linking them to towns and places. Starting with the Transylvanian adventures of Captain John Smith in 1602, the bibliography is the most detailed inventory yet published of English travel writing on Romania. Ogden, with his unerring sense of human nature, has selected those passages which throw light on the attitudes of earlier travellers and highlight some of their more amusing antics. He entertainingly arranges his sources into 'The Gentlemen' and 'The Ladies' and includes them in a useful general English-language bibliography. Both for those familiar with this subject and for the first time reader, the classification of writers is most helpful: The 'passers through' en route to and from Moscow, India, or Constantinople, like Lady Craven who was on extended holiday in the 1780s after being divorced by her husband; the 'adventurers,' like the swashbuckling Hungarian mercenary Captain John Smith, later of Pocahontas fame; the 'first tourists' - James Skene, Andrew Crosse, James Samuelson among them - and his personal favorite, the intrepid Mrs. Walker; first, from the 1890s, Ogden identifies the interest in Princess Marie at the court, who went on to become queen and played a leading role in the First World War; then, with the advent of the motorcar and aeroplane, came 'the motorists,' the most famous of which was Sacherverell Sitwell; he reserves a special category for the 'Romantics' like Patrick Leigh Fermor and Walter Starkie. The author's own journey is a comprehensive and perspicacious review of today's Romania. Ogden focuses on the heritage and art of the country, while providing a delightful account of his own experiences en route. The book is illustrated with the author's own photographs, based on the work of Karl Hielscher in 1933, and with helpful maps also drawn by the author. Romania Revisited makes a valuable contribution to the study of the external perception of Romania over the centuries and, at the same time, is the perfect travel companion for today's visitor.

The monasteries and painted churches of Moldavia stand today as a testament to the rich cultural and spiritual heritage of the Romanian people. As the Romanians living in the historical provinces of Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania, which today form modern Romania, struggled to maintain their autonomy against Ottoman expansion, their relative freedom allowed them to express themselves both artistically and culturally. Among their most remarkable creations are the monasteries and painted churches of Moldavia, in northeastern Romania, the subjects of this book. These monuments, unique in the world, reflect a cultural legacy inherited from Byzantium and the Roman Empire. After the fall of Byzantium and the expansion of Ottoman rule throughout the Balkan Peninsula, the Romanian principalities became the most important depository of the Byzantine heritage. It was here that this tradition was preserved, having been passed on to the Romanians of the Middle Ages by their ancestors. From here, this heritage continued to spread throughout Europe and influence European society and culture, creating the historical phenomenon that the great Romanian historian Nicolae Iorga would refer to as "Byzantium after Byzantium." The monasteries and painted churches of Northern Moldavia stand today as true revelations of Byzantium. This full-color album is written and photographed by Alan Ogden, the author of Romania Revisited: On the Trail of English Travellers, 1602-1941 and Fortresses of Faith: A Pictorial History of the Fortified Saxon Churches of Romania, both published by the Center for Romanian Studies. The author provides a comprehensive introduction discussing the art and architecture of the monasteries and painted churches of Northern Moldavia. Each church is then presented separately in words and pictures to reveal its own unique history and artistic beauty. Also included is an introduction to the history of Moldavia and Romanian lands during the Middle Ages by Kurt W. Treptow, a noted specialist on Romanian history and original illustrations by renowned artist, Octavian Ion Penda.

In his new book, Tigers Burning Bright, Alan Ogden brings to life the extraordinary story of SOE in the Far East as an organization battling against vested interests and competing Allied agencies and how over time it became a significant provider of strategic and tactical intelligence as well as carrying out countless dangerous missions behind enemy lines, some of which inflicted massive losses on the enemy. Behind this history lie the stories of some exceptional men who defied all odds in successfully prosecuting the war against a ruthless and efficient enemy in one of nature's toughest and most dangerous environments, the jungle. Ogden draws on both published and unpublished sources to tell their remarkable stories, always ensuring that the political context of their missions is fully explained.

Master of Deception is a biography of Peter Fleming, elder brother of Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond. Peter Fleming worked as a travel writer and journalist, serving with distinction throughout World War II and played a crucial role in British intelligence operations in the Far East. This biography ranges from the personal life of Fleming such as his marriage to Celia Johnson, a famous actor of the time, to his extensive military intelligence career which took him from Norway and Greece to the Far East. Framed through the life of Peter Fleming this book offers an in-depth study of British intelligence operations in the Far East during World War II.

In this ground-breaking new book, Alan Ogden brings to life Lt Gen sir Adrian Carton de Wiart, soldier, statesman and an often-overlooked figure in British Military and Diplomatic History. Framed through the life of Carton de Wiart this book also offers an exploration of important topics and developments in the first half of the 20th-century, including the Boer War, World War I, World War II and Anglo-Sino relations. This biography ranges from de Wiart’s early life, his wartime experiences and role as Churchill’s personal representative to Chiang Kai-shek. Ogden draws from an extensive array of primary sources including previously unseen private family papers to examine, in exquisite detail, the life and times of a man who experienced the horrors of war to rise up the ranks and become a personal representative of Winston Churchill and then Clement Attlee. This book will be of interest to undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as scholars studying British Military and Diplomatic history in the first half of the twentieth century.

In this ground-breaking new book, Alan Ogden brings to life Lt Gen sir Adrian Carton de Wiart, soldier, statesman and an often-overlooked figure in British Military and Diplomatic History. Framed through the life of Carton de Wiart this book also offers an exploration of important topics and developments in the first half of the 20th-century, including the Boer War, World War I, World War II and Anglo-Sino relations. This biography ranges from de Wiart's early life, his wartime experiences and role as Churchill's personal representative to Chiang Kai-shek. Ogden draws from an extensive array of primary sources including previously unseen private family papers to examine, in exquisite detail, the life and times of a man who experienced the horrors of war to rise up the ranks and become a personal representative of Winston Churchill and then Clement Attlee. This book will be of interest to undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as scholars studying British Military and Diplomatic history in the first half of the twentieth century.

These artistic treasures stand today as a testament to the rich cultural and spiritual heritage of the Romanian people. Unique in the world, these monuments reflect a cultural legacy inherited from Byzantium and the Roman Empire. The author provides a comprehensive introduction discussing the art and architecture of the monasteries and painted churches of Northern Moldavia. Each church is then presented separately in words and pictures to reveal its own unique history and artistic beauty.

As the second millennium begins the story of the Saxon settlers in Transylvania assumes a particular historic pertinence. For nearly a thousand years, these stalwart people from the Rhine valley and thereabouts played a key role in the diaspora in the second half of this century. Fortresses of Faith focuses on their magnificent architectural legacy -the fortress- churches or kirchenburngen of the Seibenburgen. After a comprehensive introduction covering history, architecture, and dcor, the author takes us on an enthralling photographic tour, helpfully arranged for travelers into the areas surrounding Sibiu, Medias, Sighisoara, Brasov. His black and white photographs poignantly capture the moody images of these stone war-horses of Christendom; many of which are now without congregations and prey to the dilapidation of time. This book is a superb photographic record with a broad appeal to overseas descendants of Transylvania Saxons, tourist and students of Romanian history. This is the

Ogden, an avid traveler who has also written a book about Bulgaria's monasteries, combines history with travel in this narrative of his journeys across Romania. The author incorporates the stories of other English travelers who made the trek between 1602 and 1941 into his own itinerary by selecting passages that relate to a town or sight along his path. His own story highlights the heritage and art of modern Romania, and his b&w photographs and hand-drawn maps provide a welcome visual addition to the narrative.