SOE was born from Churchill’s vision to set ‘Europe ablaze’. However, Tom Keene’s book reveals for the first time how close it came to never existing at all. Many saw SOE as a threat to the existence of MI5 and other intelligence agencies, and some in the armed forces refused to work with the new agency, fearing its broad remit and lack of experienced operatives. SOE, in turn, became ever more secretive, hiding details of their operations from anyone outside the agency. This backstabbing climate of rivalry, confusion and secrecy, not only nearly destroyed SOE, but also had tragic repercussions for the daring Commandos who took part in the legendary ‘Cockleshell Raid’.Cloak of Enemies exposes the secret war within Whitehall and its far-reaching consequences.
One of the fiercest soldiers the Phrixians have ever produced, Maris Sulle has been an outsider from the moment he was born different from the rest of his family. He grew up with a secret that cost him everything——his birthright, his family, and his military career. In all his life, he's only had one love, and he has sacrificed his own happiness to see his best friend reunited with the woman he loves. But now that his good deed is done, he feels lost and adrift. Even though they do their best to include him in their new family, Maris is once again on the outside looking in. Ture has spent his life hiding from everyone around him——his family, the world, you name it——while trying desperately to fit in. Badly hurt by everyone he's ever known, he trusts no one except his own best friend. And honestly, he can't understand why he trusts her. Nor can he believe her when she describes a loyalty between friends the likes of which he's never seen. But when Ture is in his darkest hour, he's saved by a hero he thought only existed in novels. A man who is every bit as scarred and mistrusting as he is——one who has no interest in being dragged into another relationship with anyone. Having spent his life as a living study of doomed relationships, Maris is well aware of the courtship and fiasco that invariably follows. Still, there is something about Ture he can't resist. Something that won't let him walk away when he knows he should. But when old enemies return to threaten them both, they either have to stand together or die alone.
The Legacy of Heroes is a Fantasy Role Playing Game with a singular focus: imagination. The Legacy of Heroes Player's Guide offers everything you need to bring the myriad characters from movies, literature, mythology and anything else you can imagine to life on the page before you. This book contains 11 races, 11 classes, 40 heroic arcs and all the spells, styles, equipment, magic items and more you need for your own brave heroes to move from character to legend. The Legacy of Heroes exciting Heroic Talent and Heroic Moment systems empower the players to create truly memorable role-playing experiences like never before. This book facilitates that collaboration by giving you, the player, the tools you need for the stories you imagine in an efficient, simple, and familiar system based on the OGL license. The only question is, are you ready for your own legacy? Visit www.thelegacyofheroes.com for support, downloads and more!
A lightly surreal story of misfortune, menace, and high-end stereo equipment in the cutthroat, capitalistic world of modern China. An NYRB Classics Original The hero of The Invisibility Cloak lives in contemporary Beijing—where everyone is doing their best to hustle up the ladder of success while shouldering an ever-growing burden of consumer goods—and he’s a loser. Well into his forties, he’s divorced (and still doting on his ex), childless, and living with his sister (her husband wants him out) in an apartment at the edge of town with a crack in the wall the wind from the north blows through while he gets by, just, by making customized old-fashioned amplifiers for the occasional rich audio-obsessive. He has contempt for his clients and contempt for himself. The only things he really likes are Beethoven and vintage speakers. Then an old friend tips him off about a special job—a little risky but just don’t ask too many questions—and can it really be that this hopeless loser wins? This provocative and seriously funny exercise in the social fantastic by the brilliantly original Ge Fei, one of China’s finest living writers, is among the most original works of fiction to come out of China in recent years. It is sure to appeal to readers of Haruki Murakami and other fabulists of contemporary irreality.
Alex Knight struggles to find a place between superheroes and supervillains in this explosive sequel to The Cloak Society, which School Library Journal says has "the same wide appeal as Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson books." The Cloak Society has just pulled off the greatest takedown in Sterling City's history—but twelve-year-old Alex Knight has turned his back on the supervillains who raised him, and is fighting for the other side. Working with the superheroes is easier said than done, though . . . especially when your new teammates aren't sure your days as a villain are over. Praised by Publishers Weekly for its "rapid-fire, comic book–style action," the Cloak Society trilogy delivers high-stakes battles, extraordinary superpowers, and an original twist on the superhero stories readers know and love. Fans of the 39 Clues and the Alex Rider Adventures will be hooked!
Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones, a leading expert on the history of American espionage, here offers a lively and sweeping history of American secret intelligence from the founding of the nation through the present day. Jeffreys-Jones chronicles the extraordinary expansion of American secret intelligence from the 1790s, when George Washington set aside a discretionary fund for covert operations, to the beginning of the twenty-first century, when United States intelligence expenditure exceeds Russia's total defense budget. How did the American intelligence system evolve into such an enormous and costly bureaucracy? Jeffreys-Jones argues that hyperbolic claims and the impulse toward self-promotion have beset American intelligence organizations almost from the outset. Allan Pinkerton, whose nineteenth-century detective agency was the forerunner of modern intelligence bureaus, invented assassination plots and fomented anti-radical fears in order to demonstrate his own usefulness. Subsequent spymasters likewise invented or exaggerated a succession of menaces ranging from white slavery to Soviet espionage to digital encryption in order to build their intelligence agencies and, later, to defend their ever-expanding budgets. While American intelligence agencies have achieved some notable successes, Jeffreys-Jones argues, the intelligence community as a whole has suffered from a dangerous distortion of mission. By exaggerating threats such as Communist infiltration and Chinese espionage at the expense of other, more intractable problems--such as the narcotics trade and the danger of terrorist attack--intelligence agencies have misdirected resources and undermined their own objectivity. Since the end of the Cold War, the aims of American secret intelligence have been unclear. Recent events have raised serious questions about effectiveness of foreign intelligence, and yet the CIA and other intelligence agencies are poised for even greater expansion under the current administration. Offering a lucid assessment of the origins and evolution of American secret intelligence, Jeffreys-Jones asks us to think also about the future direction of our intelligence agencies.
(Christian Historical Romance) In the wilds of 1816 Florida, a beautiful slave is free game for depraved men. But for an honorable man, she is a military objective, an asset to be protected, a love that should never be pursued. (Part 3 in Beneath the Blackberry Moon) Milly’s pale skin provides her with special privileges, but every luxury comes with a command. And Milly is done yielding. On the run, she can pass for white only as long as no one demands she lower her hood. But there’s hope. It lies in the Floridas in a refuge commanded by an army of runaways. Negro Fort. The first sweet taste of freedom convinces Milly that surrender is not an option. But the U.S. Army is keen on the fort’s conquest, and when it accomplishes the unthinkable, Milly must decide whether life is worth fighting for. Major Phillip Bailey has orders to subdue the uprising and return the runaways to their masters, all the while being forced to fight alongside Creek warriors—the same who etched the scars into his mind and flesh. The same who, in a storm of flame and blood, ripped out Phillip’s heart and took her for himself. And then came Milly... While musket balls fly, a war of another sort rages inside Phillip—perpetuate a crumbling dream or pursue the forbidden; follow orders or follow his heart. Love untamed settings from America's past? How about strong heroes in historical romance? Do they make you sigh? Drawn to know more about our Native American tribes and African American history? Then journey into Part 3, The Ebony Cloak, and come away the richer for it. About the Beneath the Blackberry Moon, a Christian Historical Romance Series: Beneath the Blackberry Moon is one story consisting of three complete parts plus a novella-length compilation of bonus scenes. (must be read in order) Part 1, The Red Feather Part 2 The Sacred Writings Part 3 The Ebony Cloak The Untold Stories (supplemental reading) Other romances in the Beneath the Blackberry Moon world: Drawn by the Frost Moon Series (standalones) Bitter Eyes No More Love the War Woman Finding Pretty Wolf The Ebony Cloak is based on a tragic yet little-known portion of African American history. Its characters are real and raw and broken. Its setting is gritty and vibrant. Its story is equally so, holding nothing back. Phillip and Milly's journey will open your eyes to love's potential. On the whole, this saga will sweep you away to an enchanting bygone world where cultures collide, romance is breathtakingly tangible, and love is hard-won. Open the pages and see for yourself. But be warned--once opened, there's no closing until The End.
The first in a thrilling, action-packed middle grade trilogy, which School Library Journal declared "will likely find the same wide appeal as Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson books. The Cloak Society: An elite organization of supervillains graced with extraordinary powers. Ten years ago the Cloak Society was defeated by Sterling City's superheroes, the Rangers of Justice, and vanished without a trace. But the villains have been waiting for the perfect moment to resurface. . . . Twelve-year-old Alex Knight is a dedicated junior member of Cloak who has spent years mastering his telekinetic superpowers and preparing for the day when Cloak will rise to power again. Cloak is everything he believes in. But during his debut mission, Alex does the unthinkable: He saves the life of a Junior Ranger of Justice. Even worse . . . she becomes his friend. And the more time he spends with her, the more Alex wonders what, exactly, he's been fighting for.
No one has ever seen this assassin's face, and I'm his next target. My name's Nadia, and I work for the High Queen of the Elves. That means all her enemies are my enemies...and I've made a lot of foes all by myself. So when an old friend calls for help, I don't think anything of it. But it might be the first step into a deadly trap...
