Europe's Last Summer


Book Description

When war broke out in Europe in 1914, it surprised a European population enjoying the most beautiful summer in memory. For nearly a century since, historians have debated the causes of the war. Some have cited the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand; others have concluded it was unavoidable. In Europe’s Last Summer, David Fromkin provides a different answer: hostilities were commenced deliberately. In a riveting re-creation of the run-up to war, Fromkin shows how German generals, seeing war as inevitable, manipulated events to precipitate a conflict waged on their own terms. Moving deftly between diplomats, generals, and rulers across Europe, he makes the complex diplomatic negotiations accessible and immediate. Examining the actions of individuals amid larger historical forces, this is a gripping historical narrative and a dramatic reassessment of a key moment in the twentieth-century.




A Pretext for War


Book Description

A Pretext for War reveals the systematic weaknesses behind the failure to detect or prevent the 9/11 attacks, and details the Bush administration’s subsequent misuse of intelligence to sell preemptive war to the American people. Filled with unprecedented revelations, from the sites of “undisclosed locations” to the actual sources of America’s Middle East policy, A Pretext for War is essential reading for anyone concerned about the security of the United States. Acclaimed author James Bamford–whose classic book The Puzzle Palace first revealed the existence of the National Security Agency–draws on his unparalleled access to top intelligence sources to produce a devastating expose of the intelligence community and the Bush administration.




The Sleepwalkers


Book Description

“A monumental new volume. . . . Revelatory, even revolutionary. . . . Clark has done a masterful job explaining the inexplicable.” — Boston Globe One of The New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of the Year • Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize (History) Historian Christopher Clark’s riveting account of the explosive beginnings of World War I. Drawing on new scholarship, Clark offers a fresh look at World War I, focusing not on the battles and atrocities of the war itself, but on the complex events and relationships that led a group of well-meaning leaders into brutal conflict. Clark traces the paths to war in a minute-by-minute, action-packed narrative that cuts between the key decision centers in Vienna, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Paris, London, and Belgrade, and examines the decades of history that informed the events of 1914 and details the mutual misunderstandings and unintended signals that drove the crisis forward in a few short weeks. Meticulously researched and masterfully written, The Sleepwalkers is a dramatic and authoritative chronicle of Europe’s descent into a war that tore the world apart.




WILLIAM LE QUEUX Ultimate Collection: 100+ Spy Thrillers, Detective Mysteries, Adventure Classics, Historical Novels, War Stories & Crime Tales (Illustrated)


Book Description

This carefully crafted ebook: "WILLIAM LE QUEUX Ultimate Collection: 100+ Spy Thrillers, Detective Mysteries, Adventure Classics, Historical Novels, War Stories & Crime Tales (Illustrated)” is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents: Novels The Great War in England in 1897 The Invasion of 1910 Guilty Bonds Zoraida The Temptress The Great White Queen Devil's Dice Whoso Findeth a Wife The Eye of Istar If Sinners Entice Thee The Bond of Black The Day of Temptation The Veiled Man The Wiles of the Wicked An Eye for an Eye In White Raiment Of Royal Blood Her Majesty's Minister The Under-Secretary The Seven Secrets As We Forgive Them The Sign of the Stranger The Hunchback of Westminster The Closed Book The Czar's Spy Behind the Throne The Pauper of Park Lane The Mysterious Mr. Miller Whatsoever a Man Soweth The Great Court Scandal The Lady in the Car The House of Whispers The Red Room Spies of the Kaiser The Great God Gold Hushed Up! A Mystery of London The Death-Doctor The Lost Million The Price of Power Her Royal Highness The White Lie The Four Faces The Sign of Silence The Mysterious Three At the Sign of the Sword The Mystery of the Green Ray Number 70, Berlin The Way to Win The Broken Thread The Place of Dragons The Zeppelin Destroyer Sant of the Secret Service The Stolen Statesman The Doctor of Pimlico Whither Thou Goest The Intriguers The Red Widow Mademoiselle of Monte Carlo This House to Let The Golden Face The Stretton Street Affair The Voice from the Void Short Story Collections Stolen Souls The Count's Chauffeur The Bomb-Makers The Gay Triangle Historical Works Rasputin the Rascal Monk The German Spy System from Within ... William Le Queux (1864-1927) was an Anglo-French writer who mainly wrote in the genres of mystery, thriller, and espionage, particularly in the years leading up to World War I. His best-known works are the invasion fantasy novels "The Great War in England in 1897” and "The Invasion of 1910.”




July 1914


Book Description

When a Serbian-backed assassin gunned down Archduke Franz Ferdinand in late June 1914, the world seemed unmoved. Even Ferdinand's own uncle, Franz Josef I, was notably ambivalent about the death of the Hapsburg heir, saying simply, "It is God's will." Certainly, there was nothing to suggest that the episode would lead to conflict -- much less a world war of such massive and horrific proportions that it would fundamentally reshape the course of human events. As acclaimed historian Sean McMeekin reveals in July 1914, World War I might have been avoided entirely had it not been for a small group of statesmen who, in the month after the assassination, plotted to use Ferdinand's murder as the trigger for a long-awaited showdown in Europe. The primary culprits, moreover, have long escaped blame. While most accounts of the war's outbreak place the bulk of responsibility on German and Austro-Hungarian militarism, McMeekin draws on surprising new evidence from archives across Europe to show that the worst offenders were actually to be found in Russia and France, whose belligerence and duplicity ensured that war was inevitable. Whether they plotted for war or rode the whirlwind nearly blind, each of the men involved -- from Austrian Foreign Minister Leopold von Berchtold and German Chancellor Bethmann Hollweg to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Sazonov and French president Raymond Poincaré- sought to capitalize on the fallout from Ferdinand's murder, unwittingly leading Europe toward the greatest cataclysm it had ever seen. A revolutionary account of the genesis of World War I, July 1914 tells the gripping story of Europe's countdown to war from the bloody opening act on June 28th to Britain's final plunge on August 4th, showing how a single month -- and a handful of men -- changed the course of the twentieth century.




Hidden History


Book Description

Think you know about British history and the causes of the First World War? Think again. This fascinating and gripping study of events at the turn of the Twentieth Century is a remarkable insight into how political and social factors that we widely accept to be the causes of The Great War, were really just a construct put together by a very small, but powerful, political elite... 'Thought-provoking . . . Docherty and Macgregor do not mince their words . . . their arguments are powerful' -- Britain at War 'Simply astonishing' -- ***** Reader review 'Very illuminating' -- ***** Reader review 'You simply MUST read this book' -- ***** Reader review 'This is a page-turner' -- ***** Reader review *********************************************************************************** Hidden History uniquely exposes those responsible for the First World War. It reveals how accounts of the war's origins have been deliberately falsified to conceal the guilt of the secret cabal of very rich and powerful men in London responsible for the most heinous crime perpetrated on humanity. For ten years, they plotted the destruction of Germany as the first stage of their plan to take control of the world. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was no chance happening. It lit a fuse that had been carefully set through a chain of command stretching from Sarajevo through Belgrade and St Petersburg to that cabal in London. Our understanding of these events has been firmly trapped in a web of falsehood and duplicity carefully constructed by the victors at Versailles in 1919 and maintained by compliant historians ever since. The official version is fatally flawed, warped by the volume of evidence they destroyed or concealed from public view. Hidden History poses a tantalising challenge. The authors ask only that you examine the evidence they lay before you . . .




Harvard Classics - Complete Collection of the Greatest Works of World Literature


Book Description

The 'Harvard Classics - Complete Collection of the Greatest Works of World Literature' stands as a monumental anthology that traverses the broad landscape of human thought and artistic expression. Within its pages, readers encounter an array of literary styles from the seminal works of philosophy, poetry, science, and drama. This carefully curated collection spans the epochs, offering an unparalleled glimpse into the intellectual and cultural currents that have shaped our world. Among its myriad offerings, standout pieces delve into the complexities of human nature, the pursuit of knowledge, and the beauty of the natural world, reflecting the diverse and significant contributions of its authors to the literary canon. The contributing authors and editors represent a veritable who's who of literary and intellectual giants across history. From the poetic grandeur of Goethe and the philosophical depths of Plato, to the scientific curiosity of Charles Darwin and the dramatic intensity of Sophocles, each contributor brings a unique voice and perspective to the collection. Bound by a common pursuit of truth and beauty, these works collectively highlight the cultural, historical, and literary movements of their times, offering readers a comprehensive understanding of the human experience as seen through the eyes of some of its greatest observers. This anthology is not merely a collection of great works; it is an invitation to explore the richness of human culture and thought across ages. For scholars, students, and lovers of literature and philosophy alike, the 'Harvard Classics' presents a unique opportunity to engage with the profound ideas and diverse narratives that have shaped human history. Encompassing the profound, the poetic, and the profound, this collection promises to enrich the mind and stir the soul, encouraging a deeper appreciation of the interconnectedness of human endeavor in the pursuit of knowledge and beauty.




Senate, 1789-1989, V. 3: Classic Speeches, 1830-1993


Book Description

Contains the texts of 46 speeches by: Robert Y. Hayne, Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, Thomas Corwin, Thomas Hart Benton, William H. Seward, Jeremiah Clemens, William P. Fessenden, Stephen A. Douglas, Jefferson Davis, Andrew Johnson, Henry Cabot Lodge, William E. Borah, Rebecca L. Fenton, Huey P. Long, Joseph R. McCarthy, Hubert H. Humphrey, Richard M. Nixon, Frank Church, John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Michael J. Mansfield, Everett M. Dirksen, Gale W. McGee, Robert C. Byrd, and other Senators.




The Harvard Classics: Complete 51-Volume Collection


Book Description

The Harvard Classics: Complete 51-Volume Collection stands as a monumental anthology that encapsulates the core of Western literary tradition, philosophy, and scientific thought. This collection traverses the dynamic landscapes of literature, from the epics of Homer to the existential musings of Kierkegaard, embodying a remarkable diversity in literary style and thematic depth. It weaves together the seminal works that have shaped human intellect and culture, including pivotal pieces in drama, poetry, philosophy, political theory, and science. The anthology distinguishes itself by the inclusion of works that have not only stood the test of time but have fundamentally transformed our understanding of the world and our place within it. The contributing authors and editors of this anthology are titans of literature and thought, each bringing their unique perspective to the collective human story. This diverse array of authors, ranging from Plato to Darwin, Goethe to Descartes, reflects a confluence of eras, cultures, and disciplines. The anthology aligns with various historical and cultural movements, offering readers an immersive journey through the Enlightenment, the Renaissance, the Scientific Revolution, and beyond, fostering a rich dialogue between disparate yet interconnected schools of thought. This collection is indispensable for readers seeking to delve into the multifaceted landscape of Western intellectual heritage. It provides a unique opportunity to engage with the seminal works that have defined and reshaped our world, encouraging a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the pivotal events, ideas, and figures in human history. The Harvard Classics: Complete 51-Volume Collection is not solely an academic resource but a gateway to the vast and varied dialogues that have propelled humanity forward, making it an essential addition to any intellectual's library.