A SPY AMONG FRIENDS : KIM PHILBY AND THE GREAT BETRAYAL
by Ben Macintyre
Harold Adrian Russell Philby, otherwise known as "Kim" was considered the greatest spy in history.
Both his intellect and his charm made him a perfect recruit for MI6, which was one of the main secret services of Britain. In time, Philby would be appointed head of their counterintelligence against the Soviet Union.
Nicholas Elliott was Philby's best friend and fellow colleague in the spy trade. They learned how to do espionage together during World War II. The two of them belonged to the same clubs, drank a voluminous amount of alcohol, wore the same classy, tailored clothing, and shared every secret. Well, not exactly. Every word that Elliot openly shared, Philby was transmitting to Moscow. But, it wasn't just Elliott's words.
James Jesus Angleton (the head of CIA counterintelligence) was also a great friend of Philby's. They met thirty-seven times in secluded bars and restaurants and Angleton disclosed quite a bit of information that absolutely thrilled the Soviet bosses.
Thanks to both Angleton and Elliott, their words, (unbeknownst to them), killed thousands of operatives and destroyed the intelligence services of both the United States and Great Britain.
Some friend indeed.
Ben Macintyre has done it again. He is a master storyteller and has written quite a number of books dealing with spies, two of which have been reviewed in this blog: Agent Zigzag and Operation Mincemeat.
A Spy Among Friends is quite an eye-opener and virtually impossible to put down. Because of the MI5 (the files for MI6 were closed), Macintyre was able to retrieve plenty of information and research to write a spectacular book.
I could write numerous adjectives to describe the writing, but it's not necessary. Just read it. You will not be disappointed.
Very highly recommended.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Sunday, May 25, 2014
50 CHILDREN : ONE ORDINARY AMERICAN COUPLE'S EXTRAORDINARY RESCUE MISSION INTO THE HEART OF NAZI GERMANY
by Steven Pressman
Gilbert and Eleanor Kraus never thought of themselves as heroes. What they did was a completely selfless act. In the spring of 1939, they went to Nazi Germany and Austria to save fifty Jewish children and bring them back to the United States. Many leaders of the Philadelphia Jewish community and organizations tried to dissuade them not to go. At that time, there was plenty of hostility in letting immigrants in, especially Jewish refugees. Both the public and the United States government were opposed to opening the doors for them. American immigration laws were very restrictive.
The Krauses went anyway and were successful in obtaining fifty visas.
Author and filmmaker Steven Pressman wrote the book based on Eleanor's private manuscript. (The Krauses were the maternal grandparents of Pressman's wife.) He also was able to interview at least a dozen of the surviving children, now adults.
50 Children is a well-told story and quite relevant. These children came without their parents and didn't know if they would ever see them again. The really sad and disturbing thing is that many more could have been saved if America hadn't been so xenophobic. Great Britain had the "Kindertransport" and saved 10,000 Jewish children. On the other hand, the United States only saved 1,000. Pretty pathetic. As one survivor said, "We all could get out. The problem was that we couldn't get in."
Besides reading the book, if you're interested in more information, you could watch the HBO documentary on YouTube that Pressman made: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2D6e7zpyRw.
Recommended.
by Steven Pressman
Gilbert and Eleanor Kraus never thought of themselves as heroes. What they did was a completely selfless act. In the spring of 1939, they went to Nazi Germany and Austria to save fifty Jewish children and bring them back to the United States. Many leaders of the Philadelphia Jewish community and organizations tried to dissuade them not to go. At that time, there was plenty of hostility in letting immigrants in, especially Jewish refugees. Both the public and the United States government were opposed to opening the doors for them. American immigration laws were very restrictive.
The Krauses went anyway and were successful in obtaining fifty visas.
Author and filmmaker Steven Pressman wrote the book based on Eleanor's private manuscript. (The Krauses were the maternal grandparents of Pressman's wife.) He also was able to interview at least a dozen of the surviving children, now adults.
50 Children is a well-told story and quite relevant. These children came without their parents and didn't know if they would ever see them again. The really sad and disturbing thing is that many more could have been saved if America hadn't been so xenophobic. Great Britain had the "Kindertransport" and saved 10,000 Jewish children. On the other hand, the United States only saved 1,000. Pretty pathetic. As one survivor said, "We all could get out. The problem was that we couldn't get in."
Besides reading the book, if you're interested in more information, you could watch the HBO documentary on YouTube that Pressman made: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2D6e7zpyRw.
Recommended.
Thursday, May 22, 2014
WONDROUS BEAUTY : THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF ELIZABETH PATTERSON BONAPARTE
by Carol Berkin
A beautiful woman by the name of Elizabeth Patterson from Baltimore, Maryland, married Jerome Bonaparte in 1803. He was the youngest brother of Napoleon. She thought Jerome was a prince charming: dashing, handsome, and worldy. Their courtship was a whirlwind. Her father opposed the marriage but Elizabeth didn't care. She wanted to get out of the United States and leave it all behind. In her eyes, American society was too narrow and empty where women were tied to their children and always had to accommodate their husbands. Europe, on the other hand, was aristocratic, cultured, sophisticated, and would eagerly welcome someone like her who had such wit and intelligence.
In due time (about two years), Napoleon who was infuriated with the union, refused to allow Elizabeth to enter any European port, and threatened his brother that if he remained married to that American, he would forfeit all of his wealth and power. Jerome dumped her and was made king of Westphalia. The marriage was annulled and Elizabeth, who by that time was pregnant, went to England and gave birth there to her only child, a son. Eventually, she would return to Baltimore but not permanently. Elizabeth would become a self-made woman and would be quite well-off financially. The investments she made in both real estate and government bonds made her a millionaire. Elizabeth would return to Europe and be welcomed with open arms.
Wondrous Beauty is a very well-told story of a woman caught between two worlds. She really never finds true happiness in either one. Shunned by her father and abandoned by her husband, Elizabeth had to reinvent herself. And as she amassed her fortune, she never saw the contradictions. Elizabeth was constantly berating American men for their obsessive focus on making money, yet she was meticulous with her instructions for both real estate and financial agents for buying and selling and making the best transactions.
This is a slice of history that is pretty much unknown and fascinating to read about. What I find amusing, though, is the word "beauty" that is used throughout this book. On the cover, is a portrait of Elizabeth Patterson, with her son. Her hair is cut quite short and is very close to her head. I don't find her beautiful at all; in fact, she isn't even attractive. There's two other color paintings of her and it's the same thing. It's interesting to see what people considered beautiful in that time period.
Nonetheless, Carol Berkin has great research skills (she has written other books on women during the Civil War, Colonial America, and the American Revolution) and it shows here. It's most definitely a fascinating read.
Recommended.
by Carol Berkin
A beautiful woman by the name of Elizabeth Patterson from Baltimore, Maryland, married Jerome Bonaparte in 1803. He was the youngest brother of Napoleon. She thought Jerome was a prince charming: dashing, handsome, and worldy. Their courtship was a whirlwind. Her father opposed the marriage but Elizabeth didn't care. She wanted to get out of the United States and leave it all behind. In her eyes, American society was too narrow and empty where women were tied to their children and always had to accommodate their husbands. Europe, on the other hand, was aristocratic, cultured, sophisticated, and would eagerly welcome someone like her who had such wit and intelligence.
In due time (about two years), Napoleon who was infuriated with the union, refused to allow Elizabeth to enter any European port, and threatened his brother that if he remained married to that American, he would forfeit all of his wealth and power. Jerome dumped her and was made king of Westphalia. The marriage was annulled and Elizabeth, who by that time was pregnant, went to England and gave birth there to her only child, a son. Eventually, she would return to Baltimore but not permanently. Elizabeth would become a self-made woman and would be quite well-off financially. The investments she made in both real estate and government bonds made her a millionaire. Elizabeth would return to Europe and be welcomed with open arms.
Wondrous Beauty is a very well-told story of a woman caught between two worlds. She really never finds true happiness in either one. Shunned by her father and abandoned by her husband, Elizabeth had to reinvent herself. And as she amassed her fortune, she never saw the contradictions. Elizabeth was constantly berating American men for their obsessive focus on making money, yet she was meticulous with her instructions for both real estate and financial agents for buying and selling and making the best transactions.
This is a slice of history that is pretty much unknown and fascinating to read about. What I find amusing, though, is the word "beauty" that is used throughout this book. On the cover, is a portrait of Elizabeth Patterson, with her son. Her hair is cut quite short and is very close to her head. I don't find her beautiful at all; in fact, she isn't even attractive. There's two other color paintings of her and it's the same thing. It's interesting to see what people considered beautiful in that time period.
Nonetheless, Carol Berkin has great research skills (she has written other books on women during the Civil War, Colonial America, and the American Revolution) and it shows here. It's most definitely a fascinating read.
Recommended.
Friday, May 9, 2014
THE ETERNAL NAZI : FROM MAUTHAUSEN TO CAIRO, THE RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF SS DOCTOR ARIBERT HEIM
by Nicholas Kulish and Souad Mekhennet
He became the world's most wanted Nazi war criminal. Yet, by the end of World War II, he was considered just small fry.
Aribert Heim was a physician, an SS doctor, but he didn't practice healing. Heim euthanized patients with injections of gasoline into their hearts. He would perform surgeries on healthy people at Mauthausen concentration camp.
In the chaotic arena of the postwar, Heim was able to slip away and actually worked as a reputable doctor in Baden-Baden. He could have just stayed there with his family. But, that was not to be. Heim was alerted that he was going to be arrested and he fled.
A small number of Germans were not willing to ignore the past as the Allies (think Americans) were doing. They wanted to pursue justice and not let Nazi criminals go unpunished. A man by the name of Alfred Aedtner was one of these upstanding citizens. He was a police investigator and it soon became an obsession for him to find Heim.
The Eternal Nazi is a terrific book. Just when you think there can't be any more sadistic Nazis, out comes another one. It took over five years for the authors to gather all their information from archives, libraries, interviews (Heim's relatives), and a dusty, old briefcase that had correspondence, medical records, and other interesting ephemera.
It's definitely a suspenseful read and keeps you riveted. Not to be missed.
Very highly recommended.
by Nicholas Kulish and Souad Mekhennet
He became the world's most wanted Nazi war criminal. Yet, by the end of World War II, he was considered just small fry.
Aribert Heim was a physician, an SS doctor, but he didn't practice healing. Heim euthanized patients with injections of gasoline into their hearts. He would perform surgeries on healthy people at Mauthausen concentration camp.
In the chaotic arena of the postwar, Heim was able to slip away and actually worked as a reputable doctor in Baden-Baden. He could have just stayed there with his family. But, that was not to be. Heim was alerted that he was going to be arrested and he fled.
A small number of Germans were not willing to ignore the past as the Allies (think Americans) were doing. They wanted to pursue justice and not let Nazi criminals go unpunished. A man by the name of Alfred Aedtner was one of these upstanding citizens. He was a police investigator and it soon became an obsession for him to find Heim.
The Eternal Nazi is a terrific book. Just when you think there can't be any more sadistic Nazis, out comes another one. It took over five years for the authors to gather all their information from archives, libraries, interviews (Heim's relatives), and a dusty, old briefcase that had correspondence, medical records, and other interesting ephemera.
It's definitely a suspenseful read and keeps you riveted. Not to be missed.
Very highly recommended.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
A CHILD OF CHRISTIAN BLOOD : MURDER AND CONSPIRACY IN TSARIST RUSSIA : THE BEILIS BLOOD LIBEL
by Edmund Levin
Near Kiev, which in 1911 was part of the Russian Empire, a thirteen-year-old Christian boy was discovered in a cave stabbed to death. Four months after the murder, Mendel Beilis, a Jewish brick factory clerk and father of five, was arrested by the police in his home. Two years later, the trial took place and made headlines internationally. Beilis was charged not only with the murder, but with the Jewish ritual killing (blood libel) of a Christian child. There was no evidence linking him to the crime and his main accuser was a known criminal herself.
The prosecution team was backed by Tsar Nicholas II, whose government was corrupt and fading fast. The attorneys for the prosecution called in "expert witnesses," a laughable bunch of pathologists, a theologian, and a psychological profiler. Their incompetent and clumsy testimonies would bring them spiraling down. On the other hand, the defense team was brilliant and garnered support from people for Beilis, around the world, who realized how absurd the entire debacle was.
Edmund Levin, who is a writer/producer for Good Morning America, first heard about the Beilis case from his Russian Jewish grandmother, but never wrote anything down. Years later, when the archives became available due to the fall of the Soviet Union, he went to Ukraine. The research he did to create such a masterpiece is phenomenal. His writing is superb and keeps you riveted.
With this book you have: true crime, history, meticulous details of all the characters involved, plus black-and-white photographs of the possible killers, the Beilis family, the defense team, the wacko witnesses for the prosecution, and other interesting pictures.
It's definitely a stupendous read and not to be missed.
Very highly recommended.
by Edmund Levin
Near Kiev, which in 1911 was part of the Russian Empire, a thirteen-year-old Christian boy was discovered in a cave stabbed to death. Four months after the murder, Mendel Beilis, a Jewish brick factory clerk and father of five, was arrested by the police in his home. Two years later, the trial took place and made headlines internationally. Beilis was charged not only with the murder, but with the Jewish ritual killing (blood libel) of a Christian child. There was no evidence linking him to the crime and his main accuser was a known criminal herself.
The prosecution team was backed by Tsar Nicholas II, whose government was corrupt and fading fast. The attorneys for the prosecution called in "expert witnesses," a laughable bunch of pathologists, a theologian, and a psychological profiler. Their incompetent and clumsy testimonies would bring them spiraling down. On the other hand, the defense team was brilliant and garnered support from people for Beilis, around the world, who realized how absurd the entire debacle was.
Edmund Levin, who is a writer/producer for Good Morning America, first heard about the Beilis case from his Russian Jewish grandmother, but never wrote anything down. Years later, when the archives became available due to the fall of the Soviet Union, he went to Ukraine. The research he did to create such a masterpiece is phenomenal. His writing is superb and keeps you riveted.
With this book you have: true crime, history, meticulous details of all the characters involved, plus black-and-white photographs of the possible killers, the Beilis family, the defense team, the wacko witnesses for the prosecution, and other interesting pictures.
It's definitely a stupendous read and not to be missed.
Very highly recommended.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
LITTLE DEMON IN THE CITY OF LIGHT : A TRUE STORY OF MURDER AND MESMERISM IN BELLE EPOQUE PARIS
by Steven Levingston
Could a person under the influence of hypnotism commit a crime against their will and then be considered guilty? This was a question towards the end of the nineteenth century that was debated heatedly by doctors, lawyers, investigators, and scientists. Mesmerism was quite the rage then in Paris.
In 1889, a married man (quite the womanizer) thinks he is going to have this lovely tryst with the young Gabrielle Gompard. Instead he is murdered by Gompard and her lover Michel Eyraud. They stuff the body in a trunk and dump it on the riverbank of Lyon.
When Gompard is eventually caught, she will claim that she was not responsible for the murder, that because of being hypnotized she didn't really know what she was doing.
The trial was an epic event. Tabloids spread the lascivious news all over the world for months on end. It would be the first time that hypnotism would be used as a means of defense for a murderer.
Little Demon in the City of Light is one terrific book. Author Steven Levingston has great attention to detail that immediately draws you in and doesn't let go. The writing is superb. He effortlessly weaves together everything: the characters, hypnotism, the time period into an extraordinary story.
Levingston is to be commended for the amount of research he did to produce a mesmerizing tale.
Very highly recommended.
by Steven Levingston
Could a person under the influence of hypnotism commit a crime against their will and then be considered guilty? This was a question towards the end of the nineteenth century that was debated heatedly by doctors, lawyers, investigators, and scientists. Mesmerism was quite the rage then in Paris.
In 1889, a married man (quite the womanizer) thinks he is going to have this lovely tryst with the young Gabrielle Gompard. Instead he is murdered by Gompard and her lover Michel Eyraud. They stuff the body in a trunk and dump it on the riverbank of Lyon.
When Gompard is eventually caught, she will claim that she was not responsible for the murder, that because of being hypnotized she didn't really know what she was doing.
The trial was an epic event. Tabloids spread the lascivious news all over the world for months on end. It would be the first time that hypnotism would be used as a means of defense for a murderer.
Little Demon in the City of Light is one terrific book. Author Steven Levingston has great attention to detail that immediately draws you in and doesn't let go. The writing is superb. He effortlessly weaves together everything: the characters, hypnotism, the time period into an extraordinary story.
Levingston is to be commended for the amount of research he did to produce a mesmerizing tale.
Very highly recommended.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
BLOOD ROYAL : A TRUE TALE OF CRIME AND DETECTION IN MEDIEVAL PARIS
by Eric Jager
During the Middle Ages, you certainly did not want to be seen out at night for no undue reason. It wasn't allowed because there was a curfew. Homes and businesses had to be in total darkness. If you were to venture outside, though, you had to make sure that you were well-armed and in the company of others for unseen dangers could arise at any time.
One night, Louis, the Duke of Orleans was returning home after seeing the Queen and was viciously attacked. He had guards but they could not protect him as Louis only brought a few of them with him. It was an extremely bloody death that stunned Paris and all of France. Provost Guillaume de Tignonville (the chief of police) had to figure out who was behind this heinous crime. The more he investigated, the more shocking evidence he found. It was quite a conspiracy that would eventually turn the tide of relations between France and England into a civil war.
Who would have thought that a book about medieval times could be so fascinating? In lesser hands, it probably would have been quite boring. Eric Jager is a professor of medieval studies at UCLA and has written other books pertaining to this genre. He is a great storyteller and draws the reader in immediately. This is a great, historical tale of true crime.
Highly recommended.
by Eric Jager
During the Middle Ages, you certainly did not want to be seen out at night for no undue reason. It wasn't allowed because there was a curfew. Homes and businesses had to be in total darkness. If you were to venture outside, though, you had to make sure that you were well-armed and in the company of others for unseen dangers could arise at any time.
One night, Louis, the Duke of Orleans was returning home after seeing the Queen and was viciously attacked. He had guards but they could not protect him as Louis only brought a few of them with him. It was an extremely bloody death that stunned Paris and all of France. Provost Guillaume de Tignonville (the chief of police) had to figure out who was behind this heinous crime. The more he investigated, the more shocking evidence he found. It was quite a conspiracy that would eventually turn the tide of relations between France and England into a civil war.
Who would have thought that a book about medieval times could be so fascinating? In lesser hands, it probably would have been quite boring. Eric Jager is a professor of medieval studies at UCLA and has written other books pertaining to this genre. He is a great storyteller and draws the reader in immediately. This is a great, historical tale of true crime.
Highly recommended.
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